HC expresses anxiety over delay in installing CCTV cameras in all police stations across Bengal

Expressing anxiety over delay in installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations of West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court has observed that a case of custodial death of a minor boy has been complicated due to alleged malfunctioning of the closed circuit tv camera at Mallarpur police station in Birbhum district.


PTI | Kolkata | Updated: 26-11-2020 18:56 IST | Created: 26-11-2020 18:29 IST
HC expresses anxiety over delay in installing CCTV cameras in all police stations across Bengal
Representative image Image Credit: ANI
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Expressing anxiety over delay in installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations of West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court has observed that a case of custodial death of a minor boy has been complicated due to alleged malfunctioning of the closed circuit tv camera at Mallarpur police station in Birbhum district. Observing that it is a serious lapse and breach of a direction passed by the Supreme Court in 2015, a division bench comprising justices Harish Tandon and Soumen Sen said on Wednesday that it is essential that CCTV cameras should be functional in all police stations across the state.

The High Court on November 12 had directed the West Bengal home secretary to submit an affidavit providing the status of CCTV cameras in all police stations of the state in connection with the custodial death of the boy last month. The court noted that the Birbhum Superintendent of Police has admitted that CCTVs at Mallarpur police station were not functional at the relevant point of time.

The court has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of the boy, who allegedly died by hanging himself in the toilet of Mallarpur police station, on October 29. The boy had been apprehended from his residence on a complaint of theft filed by the wife of a police officer posted at Rampurhat in Birbhum district, the court said.

"We express our anxiety as to the delay in the implementation of the (Supreme Court) judgement ... as it is imperative that all police stations have CCTVs installed. "In fact in the instant case, the lack of CCTV footage due to alleged malfunctioning of CCTV has complicated the issue and added to difficulties in ascertaining the truth," the division bench observed.

The bench expressed its dissatisfaction about the steps taken by the Birbhum SP against police officers who had the opportunity to interact with the child victim. The Birbhum Superintendent of Police has informed the court that departmental proceedings have been initiated against the police officers, "as serious lapses on their part cannot be ruled out".

Advocate General Kishore Dutta, appearing for the state, submitted that if required, a CID investigation may be initiated, besides the judicial inquiry which is in progress. The court was informed through an affidavit by the state government that out of 71 police stations under Kolkata Police commissionerate, 65 police stations have established child friendly corners with proper infrastructure.

The affidavit also mentioned that under the West Bengal Police Directorate, 2,876 CCTV cameras are installed in a total of 543 number of police stations, and there are "some police stations" in which CCTV cameras are there but not in a working condition. The court was also informed that 12 police stations, including six women police stations under the Kolkata Police, are in the process of installing CCTV cameras.

Noting that out of 543 police stations under West Bengal Police Directorate, 489 child friendly corners have been established in 489 police stations, the bench asked the state to explain, when the matter comes up for hearing on December 14, why such facilities, which are mandatory, have not been established in the rest..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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