Allahabad HC Directs State To Ensure Report On Lucknow Police Station CCTV Cameras

The Allahabad High Court has recently expressed serious concern over the non-functioning of CCTV cameras at some police stations in Lucknow and directed the city police commissioner to submit a proper report on the status of such cameras.

In response to this concern, a Lucknow bench of the high court wondered at a report of the Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Sayyed Ali Abbas that the CCTV cameras at the police station were not working.

The bench of Justices Sangeeta Chandra and NK Johari stated while hearing another case that it found that CCTV cameras of SGPGI police station were also discovered non-functional at the time of the incident.

The bench stated, “It is a matter of grave concern.”

The bench passed the remarks in its order on a writ petition filed by Rajat Bajpai.

The petitioner alleged that he was subjected to police brutality at the Chinhat police station, following an altercation between himself and certain police personnel regarding the parking of his motorcycle at the Matiari-Deva Road crossing.

In the course of the hearing, allegations were raised against two constables, namely Rahul Kumar and Vishal Singh. These constables, presented in plain clothes at the police station and temporarily removed the petitioner from the holding area.

When the CCTV footage of the lockup was summoned by the court, it was disclosed that the cameras were non-operational during the pertinent time period for few days.

Taking cognizance of the issue, the bench asked the Lucknow police commissioner to take suitable action against the police personnel of Chinhat police station, and also sought a report by the next date on why the CCTV cameras weren’t working.

In an earlier context, the police contended that the petitioner’s father and brother were legal practitioners within the high court, thereby implying that the petitioner created a scene when he was stopped from parking his motorcycle on the road.

However, upon review of the medical report, which was conducted by a doctor from KGMU under the court’s directive, it was disclosed that the petitioner sustained abrasions and contusions on both legs. These injuries were caused by hard and blunt object and these injuries could not come due to friction.

When the bench was apprised that the police commissioner said that disciplinary action was proposed against sub-inspector Ramesh Chandra Yadav and in-charge inspector Alok Rao, it reacted that transfer of constables Rahul Kumar and Vishal Singh wasn’t adequate, as the allegations of committing custodial violence was levelled against them in the petition.

Furthermore, the bench mandated the submission of a report detailing the actions taken by the police before September 20.

Also, the bench asked the police commissioner to take corrective measures to ensure functioning of CCTV cameras.