Ranchi, Nov 18 (NationPress) The Jharkhand High Court issued a firm order to the state government on Tuesday, mandating the installation of CCTV cameras in all 334 police stations across the state by January 5, 2026.

The court remarked that the lack of contemporary surveillance systems in police facilities not only obstructs law enforcement oversight but also infringes upon the fundamental rights of citizens.

Labeling the delay as a “serious concern,” the bench emphasized that any further negligence would be unacceptable.

This directive was issued during the proceedings of a public interest litigation before a division bench led by Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan.

As previously directed, key officials including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and the Secretary of the IT Department were present in court.

The court instructed that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the tendering process for the CCTV installations be finalized by December 31.

Following this, installation in all police stations must commence immediately and be completed by the January 5 deadline; failure to do so will lead to contempt of court proceedings.

The PIL was lodged by Shoubhik Banerjee, a resident of West Bengal, who claimed he was unlawfully detained for two days at the Bank Mor police station in Dhanbad while attempting to secure bail in a cheque bounce case.

Banerjee alleged that police coerced him to side with the opposing party. He argued that CCTV footage should have captured the incident, but police informed him that only two days of backup was available, resulting in critical evidence being lost.

The bench expressed significant concern, describing the absence of adequate CCTV coverage in a prominent city like Dhanbad as “troubling” and “intolerable.”

The state government assured the court that all necessary actions would be completed within the designated timeframe. This matter will be revisited on January 5 for compliance assessment.