Ranchi, Nov 18 (IANS) The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday issued a stern directive to the state government, ordering that all 334 police stations in the state be fully equipped with CCTV cameras by January 5, 2026.

The court observed that the absence of modern surveillance systems in police stations not only hampers law-and-order oversight but also undermines citizens’ fundamental rights.

Describing the delay as a “serious concern,” the bench said any further indifference would not be tolerated.

The directive came during the hearing of a public interest litigation before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan.

As instructed earlier, the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and IT Department Secretary appeared in person.

The court ordered that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the tendering process for the installation of CCTV cameras be completed by December 31.

Installation in all police stations, the court said, must begin immediately thereafter and be fully implemented by the January 5 deadline, failing which the matter would be treated as contempt of court.

The PIL was filed by Shoubhik Banerjee, a West Bengal resident, who alleged that he was illegally detained for two days at the Bank Mor police station in Dhanbad while he had travelled there to seek bail in a cheque bounce case.

He claimed the police pressured him to favour the opposing party. Banerjee told the court that CCTV footage should have documented the entire episode, but the police responded that only two days of backup were available, and crucial records were missing.

The bench expressed strong displeasure, calling the lack of proper CCTV coverage in a major city like Dhanbad “worrisome” and “unacceptable.”

The state government assured the court that all procedures would be completed within the stipulated timeline. The matter will be taken up again on January 5 for compliance monitoring.

–IANS

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