Of Trust, Transparency & Torture

The apex court order to have CCTVs in the centres may be an attempt to check police brutality, but it is not practical as torture often takes place in barracks, quarters and safe houses away from cameras

- Rajbir Deswal

A new instrument has been roped in by the Supreme Court to check police brutality and illegal ways of interrogation by investigating agencies. However, it is yet to be seen if this will help the accused and victims in any way and strengthen the cause of human rights and civil liberties.

The Supreme Court has asked states and Union Territories to “ensure that CCTV cameras are installed in each and every Police Station functioning” in their respective limits and to store the recording for a minimum of one year. A bench of Justices RF Nariman, KM Joseph and Aniruddha Bose also asked the centre “to install CCTV cameras and recording equipment in the offices of ” the CBI, NIA, ED, NCB, DRI, SFIO and “any other agency which carries out interrogations and has the power of arrest”. The ruling came on a plea by one Paramvir Singh Saini, who raised the issue of audio-video recording of statements of witnesses and installation of CCTVs in police stations.

I recall a saying prevalent in the historic Phillaur Police Training School of Punjab, which graduated into a Police Training Academy. It said: “Qile ki baat zile main nahin chalti; aur zile ki baat qile main nahin chalti (What is relevant in the training institution is not relevant in the field and vice versa.”)

The order from the SC bench of (from left) Justices RF Nariman, KM Joseph and Aniruddha Bose comes against the background of allegations of torture by the police in order to not only secure information, but to cut short investigations. It is well-intentioned, but many have questioned its practicability.