📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Avrajyoti Mitra
Politics
Delhi High Court Declines to Order Mandatory Police Body‑Cams for Protests, Sends Directive to Centre
✍️ Amar Ujala · Delhi
🗓 07 Oct 2026, 04:01 PM
👁 11
The Delhi High Court refused to mandate body‑camera use by police during protests, directing the central government to consider the issue.
The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking an order that police officers wear body‑cameras during public demonstrations. The bench held that the court could not impose a blanket requirement without detailed guidelines and a comprehensive assessment of operational feasibility.
Instead of a direct order, the judges directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to examine the proposal and submit a report on the practicality, cost implications and privacy concerns associated with mandatory body‑camera deployment.
Legal experts noted that the decision underscores the judiciary's cautious approach to mandating technology in law‑enforcement, while also highlighting the growing demand for transparency in police actions during protests.
The centre is expected to review the directive and may formulate policy recommendations in the coming weeks, balancing civil‑rights considerations with operational needs of the police force.
The ruling comes amid heightened public scrutiny of police conduct during recent demonstrations across the capital, where calls for greater accountability have intensified.
Instead of a direct order, the judges directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to examine the proposal and submit a report on the practicality, cost implications and privacy concerns associated with mandatory body‑camera deployment.
Legal experts noted that the decision underscores the judiciary's cautious approach to mandating technology in law‑enforcement, while also highlighting the growing demand for transparency in police actions during protests.
The centre is expected to review the directive and may formulate policy recommendations in the coming weeks, balancing civil‑rights considerations with operational needs of the police force.
The ruling comes amid heightened public scrutiny of police conduct during recent demonstrations across the capital, where calls for greater accountability have intensified.