CCTV cameras to be installed at 250 more police stations in MP
The Madhya Pradesh police are installing CCTV cameras in 250 police stations in urban areas across the state to monitor behaviour of police personnel.
The Madhya Pradesh police are installing CCTV cameras in 250 police stations in urban areas across the state to monitor behaviour of police personnel.
“One camera would be installed near the lock-up, one near the department of head constable who registers the case, and one near the entry and exit point in each 250 police stations,” senior superintendent of police (radio) Amit Saxena said.
“The fourth camera would be installed on the sole discretion of the station house officer on the location where he wants it to be installed. At present, the project is covering police stations in the urban areas,” Saxena told HT.
“CCTV cameras were installed in 276 police stations in 47 districts in the first phase in 2015,” he said, adding that the second phase would incur total expenditure of about Rs 3 crore. The installation was launched after the state government allotted budget for the project. The state government allots budget every year for the project.
“The decision to install the CCTV cameras was taken after a Supreme Court order and cognizance of the human rights commission. It would not only help to curb incidents of custodial deaths and torture in the custody but also help the police force to prevent lock-up breakouts.
“Apart from this, it would also help the police to use the footage of CCTVs as evidence against allegations of atrocities in custody,” Saxena said.
The installation of the CCTV cameras in police stations started in the state after the Supreme Court in a judgment in July last year directed state governments to put police stations and interrogation rooms under surveillance of CCTV cameras.
During the ruling, the apex court also laid down some specific rules for the police to follow while arresting, detaining and interrogating a person to obviate the possibility of torture in custody.