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Delhi HC Plea Seeks Mandatory Body Cameras for Police During Protests
- •A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Delhi High Court demanding mandatory body cameras for Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel.
- •The plea requests the framing of strict rules and a Standard Operating Procedure for utilizing body-worn cameras during protests.
- •It also calls for a secure framework regarding the storage, retention, and evidentiary use of recorded footage.
- •The petitioner emphasizes that mandatory camera usage will enhance transparency and accountability in crowd control operations.
Key Questions Answered
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed before the Delhi High Court seeks to make the use of body-worn cameras mandatory for Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel during protests and crowd control duties. The petition also requests directions to establish rules, regulations, or a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) along with a proper framework for storing, securing, and using the recorded footage as evidence.
Amid allegations of misconduct during recent protests, the Delhi Police has issued body-worn cameras to officers and personnel deployed on the frontline in New Delhi. Additionally, the Delhi Police plans to install dashboard cameras in all 857 patrol vans and provide body-mounted cameras to van in-charges to improve evidence collection and transparency.
Following an internal review of the handling of Jantar Mantar protests, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) prohibited the use of projectile attack guns, anti-riot guns, electric shock weapons, and electric shields until further orders. The RAF also mandated the use of body-worn cameras across all operations, increased intelligence monitoring, and introduced 26 corrective measures to improve discipline and accountability.
