AHMEDABAD: The
Gujarat high court
on Thursday directed the state home department to complete installation of CCTV cameras at police stations across the state by March 31.
The objective of the exercise is to prevent custodial torture.
The government on Thursday informed that out of 561 police stations supposed to be covered by CCTV surveillance (as per the court's September 24, 2014 order), installation was complete at 485 stations.
The high court had earlier sought completion of the work by December 31, 2014.
The division bench of justices SR Brahmbhatt and AG Uraizee asked additional DGP VK Mall to complete installation at remaining 76 police stations by month-end and adjourned the hearing to April 6.
Prakash Kapadia of NGO
Jagega Gujarat
filed a protest petition last year, pointing out that the home department had failed to comply with the court's earlier order.
The high court had asked the government to install 15 CCTV cameras each at bigger police stations and nine each at smaller ones, in response to Kapadia's original petition which demanded this measure to prevent the custodial torture.