Why Are There No CCTV Cameras in Rajasthan Police Interrogation Rooms? Supreme Court Asks
SC Slams Rajasthan Over Absence of CCTV in Police Interrogation Rooms
The Supreme Court on Tuesday 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 noted that interrogation rooms are the “main place” where CCTV surveillance is essential to ensure transparency and accountability.
“As per your affidavit, there is no camera in the interrogation room which is the main place where cameras have to be there,” the Bench said.
The Bench acknowledged that installing CCTVs may involve costs but stressed that this is a matter of fundamental human rights. It further questioned the Rajasthan government on the proposed oversight mechanism to monitor police conduct during interrogations.
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.
The case will now be heard on November 24.
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.
Notably, on September 15, the Court had reserved its orders in a suo motu case concerning custodial deaths and the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations across Rajasthan.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, assisting the Court had submitted that while some states had complied with earlier directions on CCTV installation, others had failed to do so. “The Union has not complied, neither NIA, nor ED, nor CBI,” he pointed out, adding that custodial torture and abuse remain a serious concern beyond just deaths.Reserving its orders, the Court directed that the matter be listed next Monday (September 22) for pronouncement.
Notably, on September 4, 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.
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
Hearing Date: October 14, 2025
Bench: Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta