Police Infrastructure – Allahabad High Court Seeks Better CCTV and Power Facilities in UP Police Stations
Police Infrastructure – The Allahabad High Court has raised serious concerns over the poor maintenance of essential infrastructure in police stations across Uttar Pradesh, observing that non-functional CCTV cameras and the absence of reliable power backup reflect negligence in official responsibilities. The court stressed that such shortcomings can directly affect transparency, accountability and the overall functioning of law enforcement agencies.
Court Holds Senior Police Officers Responsible
A Division Bench comprising Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Garima Prasad said it is the responsibility of the Superintendent of Police (SP) or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to ensure that every police station has working CCTV cameras, operational generator sets, solar power systems and other basic facilities required for smooth administration. The Bench noted that police stations deal with sensitive matters and therefore cannot function effectively without essential infrastructure.
To address the issue at the state level, the court directed the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, to issue appropriate instructions to all SPs, SSPs and Police Commissioners. These directions are intended to ensure that police stations throughout the state remain properly equipped with functional surveillance systems and uninterrupted power backup.
Petition Triggered Court’s Examination
The observations came while the High Court was hearing a petition filed by Nagendra Kumar Yadav, who claimed that he had been unlawfully confined in the lock-up of Bhaluani police station in Deoria district.
During an earlier hearing, the Station House Officer (SHO) informed the court that CCTV footage from the relevant date could not be retrieved because electricity supply had been disrupted and the police station’s generator was not operational. Taking note of the explanation, the Bench ordered that the CCTV hard disk be preserved. It also sought details of the electricity supply from the power distribution authority and asked the SP of Deoria to file a personal affidavit explaining why the generator had remained unrepaired.
Power Supply and CCTV Footage Under Scrutiny
In a later hearing held in July, the Executive Engineer informed the court that although the scheduled electricity supply for the concerned village was 18 hours on the relevant day, the actual power availability was only 13 hours and four minutes. The Bench further observed that the SHO failed to clearly explain the condition of the CCTV footage stored on the hard disk.
To ensure that the evidence remained available, the court directed officials to extract the stored footage onto a pen drive and submit it before the Bench for examination.
Affidavit Reveals Long-Standing Maintenance Failure
According to the affidavit submitted by the Deoria SP, the generator installed at the police station had remained out of service since December 2024. The affidavit also disclosed that the solar panels at the police station were not functioning. The court noted that no official communication had been sent by the police station seeking repairs for either the generator or the solar power system.
The Bench also questioned the conduct of the SHO, observing that despite being posted at the police station since August 31, 2025, he had neither reported the equipment failures nor taken effective steps to have the generator repaired or the solar panels restored. During the proceedings, the SHO assured the court that the generator would be repaired within the next three to four days.
Inquiry Ordered as Court Seeks Compliance Report
The High Court stated that the SHO also bore responsibility for the failure to maintain the generator and solar panels. During the hearing, the Additional Chief Standing Counsel produced a communication issued by the Deoria SP describing the SHO’s conduct as gross negligence in the discharge of official duties and announcing a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
Taking the communication on record, the Bench expressed the expectation that immediate and meaningful action would follow. It directed the SP, Deoria, to appear personally before the court on August 11 with a detailed report on the operational status of CCTV cameras, generator sets and solar panels in police stations across the district. The SHO has also been instructed to remain present during the next hearing.