Overview
- The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta reopened oversight of the 2020 CCTV mandate after reports of 11 custodial deaths in Rajasthan this year.
- Only 11 states and Union territories have filed compliance affidavits, and the Union government has not submitted a report.
- The court gave a three-week window for remaining states, UTs and central agencies to file compliance, cautioning that chief secretaries and agency heads may be summoned at the next mid-December hearing.
- Amicus Sidharth Dave reported that three central probe agencies have installed cameras, while others lack budget allocations and standard operating procedures for installation, maintenance and data retention.
- Madhya Pradesh was cited as a model where police stations are linked to district control rooms, as the court underscored the mandate’s role in curbing custodial torture and protecting dignity.