The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi Police and Delhi Government to file a status report on the plea seeking direction to ensure that CCTV cameras installed in the police stations must be functioning properly and the footage is stored for a minimum period of 18 months or one year as directed by the Supreme Court.

Justice Yashwant Varma issued directions to file a status report on the plea moved by Chandril Dabas through Advocate Manan Agrawal. The counsel appeared for State sought time to file the status report. The Court granted him time and listed the matter on 25 August 2022 for further hearing.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the direction given by the Supreme Court on December 2, 2020, is not being followed in Delhi itself. He sought a direction to ensure compliance with the direction of the apex court.

The petitioner Chandril Dabas has moved a petition against the Commissioner of Police Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rohini, Station House Officer of Police Station Rohini North and the Delhi Government.

The petition also sought direction to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the DCP and SHO for deliberately delaying and failing to comply with the order passed on 14 June 2021 by the Metropolitan Magistrate, North West, Rohini Courts, Delhi.

It is stated in the petition that on 1 June 2021 lockdown was revoked and at around 11 AM petitioner was going to collect his documents from his factory situated in the Bawana Industrial area in order to get the E pass prepared. His car was stopped by the Police at Rohini west metro station and he was asked to show the E pass for movement.

The plea stated that the petitioner tried to explain to the police officials that he was going to get his documents from his factory for registration of E pass.

The police officer did not listen to him and took him to Police Station North Rohini where he was harassed for two hours and was threatened that he would have to spend a night in jail, his car would be seized and he would get imprisonment for six months and was also forced to sign some papers. He was allowed to leave at around 1 pm.

The petitioner against this act of police approached the court for the direction of registration of FIR and sought an order from Station House Officer (SHO) to preserve the CCTV footage of all the cameras installed in the Police Station.

The Investigation Officer (IO) filed a reply before the court stating that the CCTV footage could not be preserved as the footage backup is only for 18 days and the camera covering the open area of the police station was not working since 21 May 2021, the petition stated.

It is also stated that the IO had also filed one copy of the FIR having the time of registration as 1.48 PM lodged against the petitioner on June 1, 2021, but the petitioner had already left the police station at around 1 pm.