The Karnataka government has informed the High Court that a committee has been constituted to oversee the implementation of its directions for a comprehensive audit of CCTV systems and backup facilities in police stations across the State.

The committee headed by Labhu Ram, IPS, Inspector General of Police, Computer Wing has been constituted pursuant to the directions of the Director General and Inspector General of Police. It comprises seven other members, including specialists from IIIT-Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the e-Governance Department.

On September 9, Labhu Ram, appearing through video conference before Justice Suraj Govindaraj, submitted that the committee would examine and formalise the specific issues flagged by the Court and submit a proposal within four weeks.

The Court was hearing a plea filed by party in person-lawyer V. Shailaja seeking CCTV footage to substantiate her allegations of illegal detention and torture at the Whitefield Police Station on September 4, 2024.

To recap, the High Court on August 13 had pulled up police authorities, including the Whitefield Police, over their explanation that the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) at the police station had remained non-functional for nearly one-and-a-half years, affecting the functioning of CCTV cameras during power outages.

The court had then stressed that installation of CCTV cameras pursuant to Supreme Court directions could not be treated as a mere formality without ensuring adequate power backup.

It was then directed that the Principal Secretary, Home Department, should conduct a comprehensive audit of CCTV and backup systems across police stations in the State .It further emphasised that CCTV systems must function and record round the clock, with footage available for at least three months.

Previously, flagging the failure of electronic infrastructure in police station, the Karnataka High Court had recently directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to submit a state-wide report detailing the installation and functionality of UPS systems at all police stations across the state.

On August 11, the AGA had filed two reports - one relating to the CCTV installation in Police Stations and the other regarding UPS implementation across the state.

The court noted that the report filed by the State indicating the number of CCTVs and UPS installed at the police stations had 'startling contradictions'.

The Court therefore had directed the Principal Secretary, Home Department, to conduct a thorough audit and verification, including the number of cameras installed at each police station, availability of backup systems and recorders, UPS capacity, duration of available backup, and the nature of power failures in different areas to determine the backup required.

Case Title: V Shailaja v. The Commissioner & Ors.& Anr. Matter

Case No: WP 3931/2026 & Crl P 16045/2025