Supreme Court Calls Custodial Deaths A ‘Blot On The System’, Gives States Three Weeks To File Report On CCTV Compliance

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed serious concern on the issue of custodial deaths calling it a blot on the system.

The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta granted three weeks time to Centre and the states (that have not filed) to file a compliance affidavits on the installation of CCTV cameras in police stations.

The bench noted that only 11 states had submitted their reports.

Justice Vikram Nath questioned whether the Centre was taking the court lightly. 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that the Union would file its compliance affidavit soon.

The bench directed the matters be listed again on December 16. 

In its order, the bench noted that if the remaining states or Union Territories still failed to file their compliance affidavits by that date, the Principal Secretary and the Director of the respective state agencies would have to appear before the Court. 

They would also be required to give explanations for not complying with the earlier orders and the directions issued on that day, the bench noted. 

Amicus Curiae and Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave informed the court that the Union had also not filed its affidavit.

In September, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the newspaper report about 11 custodial deaths linked to the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations.

Earlier in 2020, SC passed a judgment where CCTV installation in all police stations across the country was made mandatory.

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