The Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed the Centre and other stakeholders to participate in a meeting aimed at creating a centralised dashboard and standardising CCTV infrastructure across police stations nationwide.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order after submissions by senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae. Dave informed the court that although a meeting had been scheduled pursuant to the January 29 order and held on February 21, representatives from the Union government, the Delhi government and certain other states did not attend, preventing him from filing the required report.
Taking note of the submission, the bench recorded the assurance of counsel for the Union of India, who apologised for the absence citing a communication gap and promised full cooperation in the next meeting. Accepting the suggestion of the amicus, the court directed that the next meeting be held on March 14, 2026. The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 23.
The issue stems from the court’s earlier directions on the installation and functioning of CCTV cameras in police stations to prevent human rights violations. In 2018, the apex court mandated installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations. In December 2020, it further directed the Centre to ensure installation of CCTV cameras and recording systems in the offices of central investigating agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Enforcement Directorate, and the National Investigation Agency.
The court had also ordered states and Union Territories to ensure coverage at all critical points within police stations, including entry and exit gates, lock-ups, corridors, reception areas and spaces outside lock-up rooms, so that no area remained unmonitored. It mandated that CCTV systems must have night vision capability and audio-video recording, with storage capacity for at least one year.
