Thread by @barandbench

Two years after the Supreme Court directed installation of #CCTVs in police stations across the country, a Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman led bench hears the case regarding compliance of the verdict.

Senior Adv Siddhartha Dave, Amicus curiae makes submissions
#SupremeCourt

Dave: Sikkim has installed 2 CCTV camera in prisons, not in police stations

Mizoram has installed 147 cctv in 40 prisons. Nobody says where they are placed. Boundary wall doesn't serve purpose

Dave: MP 1,117 police stations, 859 cameras installed.

Manipur has installed 87 CCTV camera

Justice Nariman: Affidavits have been filed by persons of several stature. up through Superindent of police, WB has done through commisioner of home dept. We have to lay down clearly who should file this affidavit

Dave: only Home Secretary should file

Nariman: If they don't file then?

Dave: then they have to come here

SC: we need additional affidavits on total number of police stations in each district. It is necessary for us to know who will be the oversight committee.

SC: We have to see that the CCTVs are functioning. Who do we fix the responsibility?

Dave: SHO of each station should be responsible

AG KK Venugopal: In rural areas too the internet needs to be provided as its needed for CCTV. State govt should ensure electricity and internet is made available to these stations. Questionnaire also needs to be circulated to elicit all info needed for in affidavits

SC: We are police atrocity. The oversight committee should be able to take a look at these footages and take immediate action.. that is the most important.

Senior Adv Rakesh Dwivedi: oversight committee can have the police commisioner, district magistrate and Supdt of police

Dwivedi: I appear for State of West Bengal. All the police stations are equipped with CCTVs. We will form the oversight committee too after discussion with the Chief Minister @MamataOfficial

Additional Advocate General of UP, Vinod Diwakar: UP has also ensured CCTV in all police stations

Justice Nariman: Thats good but we are not on individual merit or cases. We are looking at the global picture

Adv Deepanwita Priyanka for Gujarat: We have over 7700 CCTV cameras

Justice Nariman: give us suggestions not individual data

Adv: We have formed two Committees in the state with various ADGPs

Adv Nitya Ramakrishnan: Placement of camera must be entry exit. There is every possibility of abuse everywhere else.

Adv Shahrukh Alam for an intervenor: We also need to have guidelines for custodial interrogation

SC: We are only on CCTV cameras

Alam: In 2018 verdict it was not stated how long can these people stay in custody

SC: we are not on related questions

Adv Shuvodeep Roy for Tripura: We have formed a Police Accountability Commissiom which is headed by retired HC judge

Adv Yogesh Khanna for Tamil Nadu: we have a policy of putting up cameras in all important areas of police stations

SC: The most unimportant places will become the most important as the accused will be thrashed there

Khanna: we have in lock up rooms also

SC: that's obvious!

AG Venugopal reads out the affidavit of Meghalaya

Senior Adv Dwivedi: with atrocities happening against women, one lady officer could also be there in the commission which will look into these footages

AG Venugopal: A helpline to the oversight committee needs to be put in place so that any atrocities being committed can be brought to light immediately

Adv Ramakrishnan: some well known members of the citizenry should be a part of the oversight committee and not only independent bureaucrats

Dave: We are only oversight and not on grievance redressal

Justice Nariman: Grievance redressal is equally important.

Justice Nariman: The footage needs to be preserved for 45 days. We need to have a mechanism to store and decide how long can the footages can be saved.

SC: We will have to pass three to four orders which will ultimately put the system straight

Adv Bankey Bihari: One representation from people should be there. Either district head of panchayat or the Municipal head can be there. It's constitutionally accepted role.

Adv Shahrukh Alam withdraws her intervention application

Supreme Court reserves order. Order to be passed in a day or two.

Supreme Court also raised questions on what about audio issues in such footages and how can it be taken into account

Dave: We are in the first step of installation. CCTV with audio is expensive than without and thus states prefer the same

The bench asks Senior Adv Dave to submit a written note of suggestion by Friday so that the bench can decided on the order over the weekend

#SupremeCourt

Full story:

barandbench.com/news/litigatio…