The Allahabad High Court has reinforced judicial oversight of police conduct by mandating that CCTV systems within police stations must remain operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This directive aims to increase transparency and accountability during police interactions with the public.

Under the new court order, police stations are prohibited from operating without active surveillance. The court established a clear procedural requirement for instances where technical failures occur: if a CCTV camera becomes non-functional, police personnel must record the details of every individual brought in for interrogation or arrest in the station’s General Diary (GD). This ensures that a paper trail exists for all detainees, even in the absence of video evidence.

This ruling is part of a broader judicial effort to prevent custodial misconduct and ensure that police stations adhere to established human rights standards. By requiring contemporaneous documentation in the General Diary when cameras are down, the court seeks to close potential loopholes that could allow for undocumented detentions or mistreatment. While the court has set these strict requirements, the practical implementation will fall to local law enforcement agencies, who must now ensure their facilities meet these technical and administrative standards to remain in compliance with the law.