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Delhi High Court declines PIL seeking mandatory body cameras for police during protests
- •The Delhi High Court dismissed a PIL demanding compulsory, always-on body-worn cameras for Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel during protests and crowd-control duties.
- •A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Nitin Sambre stated there was no legal grey area requiring judicial intervention or a mandate for legislation.
- •The court directed the Centre to treat the petition as a representation rather than issuing a judicial order.
- •The PIL, filed by advocate Chahat Raghav, argued that mandatory cameras would protect both the right to protest and individual liberty by providing authenticated evidence of police-public encounters.
- •The petition was prompted by protests at Jantar Mantar involving allegations of excessive police force as well as stone-pelting and vandalism by protesters.
Key Questions Answered
The Delhi High Court declined to entertain the Public Interest Litigation seeking compulsory body-worn cameras for Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel, asking the Centre to treat the petition as a representation instead and noting that the issue was not a legal grey area requiring judicial intervention or legislation.
The PIL was filed by advocate Chahat Raghav, seeking a binding Standard Operating Procedure to mandate continuous operation of body-worn cameras by police and Rapid Action Force personnel during crowd-control and protest operations.
The petition was filed against the backdrop of July protests at Jantar Mantar involving the Cockroach Janata Party and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, which featured allegations of excessive police force alongside reports of stone-pelting and vandalism.
