Illegal Detention: Allahabad High Court Orders UP-Wide Review Of Police Station CCTV, Power Backup

The Allahabad High Court has ordered a statewide review of essential facilities at police stations after finding that a police station at the centre of an alleged illegal detention case had a non-functional generator and solar panel, leaving it dependent entirely on electricity supply for operating CCTV cameras.

Hearing a writ petition alleging that a person was illegally confined in a police lock-up after visiting the police station to lodge a complaint, the divison bench of Justices Ajit Kumar and Garima Prashad directed the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, to ensure that all police stations in the State remain equipped with functioning generators, solar panels and CCTV cameras.

Court also summoned the district Superintendent of Police (SP) to explain the condition of all police stations under his jurisdiction.

The bench made the observations after monitoring the matter over several hearings during which it repeatedly required the Station House Officer (SHO) concerned to appear personally before it.

Why did the high court question the police station's infrastructure?

The issue arose after the SHO defended himself by saying that CCTV footage from the date of the alleged illegal detention could not be verified because there was no electricity supply at the police station.

When questioned further, the SHO informed the court that although the police station had a generator, it was not in working condition. As a result, the station depended entirely on electricity supplied by the power corporation.

Expressing surprise, the bench observed that it was "quite amazing" that a sensitive establishment such as a police station could remain without electricity and that even the government-provided generator was lying defunct. It sought a personal affidavit from the SP explaining why the generator had not been repaired and why no action had been taken to restore the backup power system.

Court also ordered that the CCTV hard drive be immediately taken into safe custody to prevent any possibility of tampering.

What did the inquiry reveal?

An affidavit filed by the electricity department stated that while the scheduled electricity supply to the area on the relevant date was 18 hours, the actual supply was only 13 hours and four minutes because of power cuts. The court also directed that the CCTV footage be extracted from the hard disk and produced before it on a pen drive.

More significantly, the SP's affidavit disclosed that the generator had remained non-functional since December 2024. The solar panel installed at the police station was also not working, and no formal communication had been sent seeking repairs or maintenance.

When asked why no steps had been taken, the SHO, who had been posted at the police station since August 31, 2025, could not offer any explanation. He, however, assured the court that the generator would be repaired within three or four days.

Who is responsible for functioning CCTV cameras and backup power?

Answering that question, the high court held that ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply with adequate backup at police stations is primarily the responsibility of the Superintendent of Police or Senior Superintendent of Police.

The bench observed that police stations are sensitive institutions where discipline and accountability must be maintained. If generators, solar panels and CCTV cameras remain non-functional, it amounts to dereliction of duty on the part of the SP or SSP. It further held that the SHO is equally responsible for failing to ensure repairs and maintenance of the backup systems.

Court noted that the SP had already initiated a preliminary inquiry into the SHO's conduct for alleged dereliction of duty and expressed hope that decisive action would follow. It directed the SP to personally appear before it and place on record the operational status of generators, solar panels and CCTV systems at all police stations in the district.

To prevent recurrence of similar lapses elsewhere, the high court also directed the State to forward its order to the DGP so that appropriate instructions are issued across Uttar Pradesh to ensure every police station is fully equipped with the infrastructure necessary for effective policing and accountability.

Case Title: Nagendra Kumar Yaqdav v. State of U.P. and 3 Others

Order Date: July 28, 2026

Bench: Justices Ajit Kumar and Garima Prashad