Jharkhand HC warns top officials of contempt action over CCTV delay at police stations
Synopsis
The Jharkhand High Court has put three of the state's most powerful bureaucrats — Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and DGP — on notice for contempt, citing the government's failure to install CCTV cameras despite 450+ reported custodial deaths since 2018. Four tenders have been floated and failed. The case began with a letter from a politician's wife alleging brutal assault in custody.
Key Takeaways
The Jharkhand High Court issued show-cause notices on 24 September 2026 to the Chief Secretary , Home Secretary , and DGP over non-installation of CCTV cameras in police stations.
The court warned all three officials of contempt proceedings if they fail to respond by the next hearing on 15 October 2026 .
More than 450 custodial deaths have been reported in Jharkhand since 2018 , yet CCTV cameras remain absent from police stations.
Four tenders for CCTV installation have been floated but none has yielded any tangible result, according to the bench.
The case was triggered by a letter from the wife of Tarun Mahto , who alleged custodial assault on 19 November 2025 at an Ichagarh police station.
The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday, 24 September 2026, issued show-cause notices to three senior state officials — the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, and the Director General of Police (DGP) — warning them of contempt proceedings over the government's prolonged failure to install CCTV cameras in police stations across the state. A division bench headed by Chief Justice M.S. Sonak observed that the state appeared unwilling to comply with the court's earlier directions on the matter.
Court's Stern Observations
The bench remarked that the government had been concealing the actual ground situation in its affidavits and adopting a deliberate delaying approach. Faced with what it termed a pattern of non-compliance, the court said it had little option but to consider contempt action against the three senior officers. The DGP's attempt during the hearing to shift responsibility to the Home Department was described by the bench as 'irresponsible.'
Over 450 Custodial Deaths Since 2018
The court noted that more than 450 cases of deaths in police custody have been reported in Jharkhand since 2018. Despite this alarming figure, CCTV cameras remain uninstalled in police stations — a situation the bench described as 'highly unfortunate.' The court stressed that CCTV surveillance is essential to monitor incidents of custodial deaths and alleged police brutality, and that four separate tenders floated for the installation have failed to produce any tangible result.
The Case That Triggered the Proceedings
The matter traces back to an alleged custodial assault involving Tarun Mahto, who had contested the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections from the Ichagarh constituency. According to the court record, police allegedly picked him up on the night of 19 November 2025 and took him to a police station, where he was reportedly subjected to severe assault while in custody. His wife subsequently wrote to the Chief Justice of the High Court, prompting the court to take suo motu cognisance of the letter and initiate proceedings.
What Happens Next
The court has fixed 15 October 2026 as the next date of hearing and directed all three officials — the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, and the DGP — to file their responses to the show-cause notices before that date. This is not the first time the court has flagged non-compliance; at a previous hearing as well, the DGP had been asked to explain the failure to act on the court's order. With contempt proceedings now formally on the table, the Jharkhand government faces mounting judicial pressure to deliver a credible implementation plan.
Point of View
Zero cameras installed, and 450-plus custodial deaths logged — the Jharkhand government's record on court-mandated CCTV surveillance is a textbook case of institutional evasion. The attempt by the DGP to pass responsibility to the Home Department during the hearing signals not just non-compliance but active blame-shifting, which the court rightly called irresponsible. What is missing from this story is accountability downstream: if contempt notices do not produce cameras, what enforcement mechanism remains? India's higher courts have repeatedly ordered CCTV installation in lock-ups since the Supreme Court's DK Basu guidelines, yet state after state delays implementation with procedural alibis. Jharkhand is a test of whether show-cause notices alone can break that cycle.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Jharkhand High Court issued contempt notices to top state officials?
The Jharkhand High Court issued show-cause notices to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and DGP on 24 September 2026 because the state government has failed to install CCTV cameras in police stations despite repeated court directions. The bench observed that the government was concealing ground realities in its affidavits and adopting a deliberate delaying approach.
How many custodial deaths have been reported in Jharkhand since 2018?
The court noted that more than 450 cases of deaths in police custody have been reported in Jharkhand since 2018. Despite this, CCTV cameras — which the court described as essential for monitoring custodial incidents — have not been installed in police stations.
What is the Tarun Mahto case that triggered these proceedings?
Tarun Mahto, a candidate in the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections from the Ichagarh constituency, was allegedly picked up by police on the night of 19 November 2025 and subjected to severe assault at a police station. His wife wrote to the Chief Justice of the High Court, prompting the court to take suo motu cognisance and initiate proceedings.
When is the next hearing in the Jharkhand CCTV case?
The Jharkhand High Court has fixed 15 October 2026 as the next date of hearing. All three officials — the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, and the DGP — must file responses to the show-cause notices before that date.
How many tenders have been floated for CCTV installation in Jharkhand police stations?
According to the court, four tenders have been floated for the installation of CCTV cameras in police stations. None of them has yielded any tangible result, which the court cited as evidence of the government's failure to act on its directions.
