Supreme Court to Tackle CCTV Gaps in Police Stations Over Custodial Death Concerns
The Supreme Court of India is set to dive into a critical issue on Monday: the shocking lack of working CCTV cameras in police stations across the country. This comes after the court took suo motu notice—meaning on its own initiative—based on a disturbing media report about custodial deaths in Rajasthan.
Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta flagged the problem after spotting a news story highlighting 11 deaths in police custody in Rajasthan during the first eight months of 2025. Out of these, seven tragic cases occurred in the Udaipur division alone. "We’ve come across a disturbing news article," the bench noted in its September 4 order. "It reveals 11 deaths in police custody in Rajasthan in the past eight months of 2025, with seven in Udaipur division."
The report didn’t stop there. It exposed how many remand rooms in police stations fall outside CCTV coverage. Worse, police often dodge sharing footage, blaming technical glitches, storage issues, ongoing probes, or legal hurdles. In some instances, they flat-out refused or dragged their feet on releasing the videos.
That’s why the bench stepped in, titling the case "In Re: Lack of Functional CCTVs in Police Stations." They directed the registry to bring it to the Chief Justice of India for further action. This move aims to push for better accountability and prevent custodial torture through proper surveillance.
Remember, the Supreme Court has long pushed for CCTV cameras in all police stations to boost transparency. Back in the day, it ordered full coverage—no blind spots allowed—and required footage storage for at least 18 months using digital or network video recorders.
In 2023, the top court gave the central government and states a "last chance" to get this sorted within three months. It even held station house officers (SHOs) personally accountable for maintaining, backing up, and fixing these CCTV systems. With this new hearing, the court seems determined to ensure these rules aren’t just on paper. Stay tuned as this could lead to stronger safeguards against police custody deaths in India.
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