SC seeks information on mechanism to preserve CCTV footage

The Supreme Court on Tuesday contemplated a mechanism to preserve CCTV footage for more than 45 days and the integration of audio in it, as it reserved its orders in a matter pertaining to the installation of CCTVs in police stations across the country.

A bench comprising Justices R.F. Nariman, K.M. Joseph and Aniruddha Bose said that CCTV camera mechanisms automatically delete anything beyond 45 days and attempts should be made to report immediately if there is an atrocity.

   

“There should be an attempt to preserve the footage. Presence of citizens and NHRC members in Committee will be taken up in future orders. Now we will lay down the basics,” it said.

The bench also asked senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, the amicus curiae in the matter, to submit a comprehensive note by Friday, chalking out issues in connection with preservation of CCTV footage for more than 45 days and also on the aspect of integration of audio into the footage. The top court, in 2018, had directed installation of CCTVs in every police station in the country against the backdrop of rising custodial torture. Dave informed the bench that 15 states have filed affidavits on compliance of directions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 × one =