Allahabad High Court Censures UP Police for Inoperative CCTV and Backup Power
The Allahabad High Court ruled that non-functioning generators, solar panels and CCTV units at police stations constitute a dereliction of duty by the supervising superintendent.
While adjudicating a case filed by Nagendra Kumar Yaqdav alleging unlawful confinement at a Deoria district police lock-up, the Allahabad High Court discovered that the station’s generator and solar panel had been non-operational for months. The station house officer explained that the lack of electricity prevented review of CCTV recordings, and the court found this explanation unsatisfactory. Judges Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Garima Prashad instructed the electricity department to submit a power-supply report and ordered the CCTV hard drive to be secured.
They labeled the failure to maintain backup power and surveillance as a dereliction by the Superintendent of Police and directed the Uttar Pradesh DGP to mandate functional equipment across all state police stations. The court also summoned the Deoria superintendent to report on the status of these systems district-wide.
Why it matters
Ensuring reliable power and surveillance at police stations is essential for accountability and public safety.
In this story