Supreme Court Gives Centre 2 Weeks To Fix CCTV Gaps In Police Stations, Flags Kerala Model
Supreme Court has given the Union government two weeks to resolve issues in CCTV installation and monitoring, while highlighting Kerala’s model as a benchmark for nationwide implementation
Supreme Court grants Centre two weeks to address gaps in CCTV installation and monitoring in police stations across India
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Union government two weeks to address gaps in the installation and functioning of CCTV cameras in police stations across the country, while underscoring the need for coordinated implementation and adoption of best practices.
The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a suo motu matter concerning the lack of functional CCTV systems in police stations nationwide. The hearing followed the Court’s earlier direction requiring the personal appearance of the Union Home Secretary to assist in the matter.
Appearing for the Union, Attorney General R. Venkataramani acknowledged lapses in coordination and sought time to streamline the process. “I am taking stock of the issue… there is a lot of coordination required. We will hold meetings with the Amicus and the Home Secretary and try to sort out the issues within a week,” he submitted, also apologising for his absence in earlier hearings.
The Bench, however, expressed concern over the manner in which the Union was being represented despite the Court having constituted a committee and appointed an Amicus Curiae to assist in the matter. Justice Nath remarked on the lack of proper engagement, questioning whether such representation was appropriate in a matter being closely monitored by the Court.
During the hearing, the Court highlighted the implementation model adopted by Kerala, noting that it had developed an effective software system enabling real-time monitoring of CCTV footage. The Bench observed that, as per the Amicus, states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan had also made significant progress, with Kerala’s system being the most robust.
The Court questioned why a uniform model, such as the one implemented by Kerala, could not be replicated across states instead of each state developing separate systems. It emphasised the need for standardisation to ensure effective surveillance and accountability in police functioning.
Recording the submissions of the Attorney General, the Court noted that the Union had assured it that all pending issues would be addressed through regular coordination meetings with the Amicus and concerned authorities.
“Within two weeks, all issues will be sorted out,” the Court recorded, based on the Union’s assurance.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on April 28.
Notably, in November 2025, the Bench had granted three weeks' time to the Union government and the states for filing compliance affidavit in the suo motu case initiated by the court on the issue of CCTVs in police stations. "We have perused the tabulation chart by the amicus. We find that only 11 states have filed their compliance affidavit. Request has been made by Solicitor General that 3 weeks' time may be granted within which compliance affidavit may be filed. We grant 3 weeks time to the states also who have not filed. List again on December 16. If they are not filed by the next date, Principal Secretaries of the department of home shall remain present before this court along with their respective explanations", a Justice Vikram Nath led bench had ordered.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had raised serious concerns over the lack of CCTV cameras in the interrogation rooms of police stations across Rajasthan, emphasizing the human rights implications of such a gap. The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta had further noted that interrogation rooms are the “main place” where CCTV surveillance is essential to ensure transparency and accountability.
The observations were made during the hearing of a suo motu case concerning the lack of functional CCTVs in police stations, reflecting growing judicial scrutiny over police accountability and custodial safeguards in the state.
Previously, on September 26, the Court had directed that specific information on 12 key points be provided by all States and Union Territories within three weeks. The details required include status of CCTV installation, functionality, storage of footage, and monitoring mechanisms.
The Apex Court had initiated a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations across the country, following media reports of 11 custodial deaths in 2025. The Bench had taken note of a report published in Dainik Bhaskar highlighting the alarming rise in custodial deaths over the past seven to eight months.
“Based on Dainik Bhaskar, we are directing a suo motu PIL titled Lack of functional CCTVs in police stations, as 11 custodial deaths were reported in 2025 over the past 7–8 months,” Justice Nath had observed. The Court’s intervention marked a significant step towards enforcing compliance with its earlier directions mandating CCTV installation in all police stations to ensure transparency and accountability.
The Dainik Bhaskar report stated, "There have been 11 deaths in police custody in the state within 8 months of 2025. 7 deaths have occurred in Udaipur division. In August, two bullion traders died in Kankroli police station of Rajsamand district and Rishabhdev police station of Udaipur district. Information was sought under RTI in all the cases."
The development came nearly five years after the Supreme Court, in a landmark 2020 judgment delivered by Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, KM Joseph and Aniruddha Bose, had made CCTV installation in all police stations across the country mandatory. In that verdict, the Court had also directed the Union government to install CCTV cameras in the offices of agencies such as the CBI, NIA, ED, NCB, DRI and SFIO, where interrogation of accused persons is carried out. The Bench had further mandated that all CCTV systems must be equipped with night vision and include both audio and video recording. The 2020 judgment had underlined that in the event of custodial violence or death, the victims or their families could approach Human Rights Courts to secure CCTV footage, ensuring accountability. Despite these directions, compliance has remained patchy, with authorities frequently citing non-functional cameras or missing footage when called upon to produce records in cases of custodial violence.
Case Title: In Re: Lack of Functional CCTVs in Police Stations
Bench: Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta
Hearing Date: April 7, 2026