CCTVs installed in 170 police stations: Police to HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court was informed by the police on Friday that installation of CCTV cameras was completed in 170 of the 182 police stations in the national capital and the system was functional now.

The police said the work of installation of CCTV cameras in eight police stations would be completed in a month's time and the remaining four were related to the Metro unit of the Delhi Police, which were functioning from a single room. 

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Metro has been requested to identify the locations for the installation of CCTV cameras at these Police Stations and get the same installed as per requirement, the police said. 

Taking note of the submissions, a bench of justices Ravindra Bhat and Prateek Jalan asked the police to furnish a certificate of an independent agency concerned, stating that CCTVs were installed at all the police stations in Delhi and they were functional. 

The bench asked the police to indicate the period of monitoring the CCTVs -- half-yearly or quarterly -- and indicate its choice of an independent agency for the purpose like the CISF (Central Industry Security Force) or any other agency. 

Delhi government's standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra and additional standing counsel (criminal) Rajesh Mahajan told the court that the installation of 6,600 CCTV cameras in the vulnerable areas of the city was in progress and the work would be completed within the time-line prescribed by the court. 

Regarding the issue of frequent malfunctioning of streetlights, which often posed a threat to the lives of citizens, especially women, the court said it had earlier asked the Delhi government to look into it, but no progress was indicated except that the complaints received were forwarded to the authorities concerned. 

The bench directed the Delhi government and civic agencies to convene a meeting and discuss the framework on the issue of streetlights and file a report. It clarified that the mechanism should cover the aspect of accountability when the streetlights are not functioning. 

The court listed the matter for further hearing on March 20. Advocate Meera Bhatia, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, had said the Delhi Police was not adhering to the time-line for installation of CCTV cameras. 

The police had earlier told the court that the cameras it planned to install in the vulnerable areas of the city would record hi-definition videos and have facial recognition and number plate identification features and would cost around Rs 404 crore.