Srinagar: State Human Rights Commission Tuesday directed the Government to install CCTV Cameras in all Police Stations of Jammu and Kashmir.
A case titled Deepak Kumar Sharma of Jeevan Nagar Jammu regarding the installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras was listed before the Commission. While disposing the case SHRC member Jung Bahadur Singh Jamwal observed that the acts of torture and custodial deaths are happening in Jammu and Kashmir intermittently and many a times police personnel convert a criminal case into civil dispute, though the Commission has no such records of how many custodial deaths have been occurred.
The SHRC member observed that installations of CCTV Cameras will bring the transparency and the capturing of footage will stop harassment and human rights violations. At the same time, it will help sometimes police to refute the false allegations leveled by some visitors.
“All the proceedings in all police stations are required to be videographed for the purpose of evidence. “If surveillance is enforced in police stations, the instances of human rights violations will diminish considerably. The installations of CCTV Cameras can be installed as per the availability of the budget,” the Commission said and directed the Government through Chief Secretary to install CCTV Cameras in all Police Stations of Jammu and Kashmir and sanction the grant in favour of the Director General of Police J&K for the purpose.
“Besides, Commissioner Secretary to Government Home Department is directed to process the case with the latest cost of the installation of CCTV Cameras and also DGP Jammu and Kashmir is directed to prepare the present expenditure and budget to be spent on installations of these cameras in all police stations of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Commission said.
