The Allahabad High Court has come down firmly on the Uttar Pradesh Police over the non-availability of CCTV footage from Lucknow’s PGI police station, rejecting claims of a “technical glitch” and directing the State’s Principal Secretary (Home) to personally explain the lapse, a move that sharpens judicial scrutiny over alleged illegal detention.
The order came while hearing a habeas corpus plea filed by the father of Vivek Singh, who alleged that his son was unlawfully detained at the PGI police station in November 2025. The petitioner argued that CCTV recordings from the police station would decisively establish the circumstances surrounding the detention. In response, the Police Commissioner submitted a personal affidavit stating that the footage could not be produced due to a technical failure in the CCTV system, a justification the Court found inadequate given existing legal and administrative mandates.
A Division Bench of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Babita Rani expressed clear dissatisfaction with the explanation offered, observing that officials cannot evade accountability by blaming system failures. Emphasising compliance with binding directions, the Court noted that police stations are under a legal obligation to retain CCTV footage for a prescribed duration, adding that the affidavit failed to disclose when the system malfunctioned or why no backup was available.
The Bench cautioned that “officers cannot shirk their responsibility by citing technical glitches” and ordered the Principal Secretary (Home), Uttar Pradesh, to file a personal affidavit explaining the lapse. The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 18.
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