- Delhi Police deploys bodycams for crowd management duties.
- PIL seeks mandatory bodycams for police and RAF personnel.
- Move follows allegations of misconduct during recent protests.
With protests intensifying in Delhi over the past few months and several allegations of excesses and misconduct by security personnel emerging from demonstrations, the Delhi Police has begun issuing body-worn cameras to frontline personnel deployed for crowd management and security duties.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed before the Delhi High Court has also sought directions to make body-worn cameras mandatory for Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel deployed during protests and crowd-control operations. The plea also seeks a framework governing the storage, retention and evidentiary use of footage recorded by the cameras.
The bodycams have been issued particularly to personnel deployed around protest sites and on roads leading to the Election Commission of India office, according to an official source.
The move comes amid heightened security in New Delhi, Central Delhi and North Delhi following a series of demonstrations against the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in large numbers, while multilayer barricades have been placed at several locations to prevent protesters from entering restricted areas.
Why Delhi Police Is Using Bodycams
The cameras are expected to create a real-time record of interactions between police personnel and protesters. Officials believe the footage could help establish what happened during a protest when allegations are made against either police personnel or demonstrators.
"The bodycams are important, particularly when officers are dealing with large crowds, and there are allegations from either side. The recordings can help establish what happened during a protest," PTI quoted a source.
The recordings could also provide investigators with additional evidence while examining complaints of misconduct or allegations against protesters, officials said.
PIL Seeks Mandatory Bodycams For Police, RAF
The PIL seeks a binding Standard Operating Procedure requiring body-worn cameras for police and RAF personnel deployed for protest-management and crowd-control duties.
The petition argues that a mandatory system would improve transparency and accountability during police-public interactions. It also seeks safeguards governing how recordings are stored, protected, retained and used as evidence.
The plea comes against the backdrop of increased scrutiny of police conduct during recent demonstrations, including protests at Jantar Mantar.
Three Women Journalists Allege Harassment
The deployment of bodycams has also assumed significance following complaints by three women journalists who alleged sexual harassment and manhandling during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on October 2.
The journalists alleged that police personnel behaved inappropriately with them during the protest, while one of the complainants alleged that an officer sexually assaulted her.
The New Delhi district police received the complaints and transferred them to the Crime Branch for an impartial inquiry. The investigating agency is expected to examine the allegations and record statements of the complainants and others connected with the matter.
The allegations subsequently led to protests by independent journalists and others outside Parliament Street police station. Demonstrators demanded registration of an FIR and examination of CCTV footage related to the alleged incidents.
According to police sources, no FIR had been registered in the matter at the time of the reports.
Delhi Police Issues Advisory For Journalists
Alongside the bodycam deployment, Delhi Police has issued an advisory for journalists covering protests, asking them to carry valid identification and keep it visibly displayed while reporting from protest sites.
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"Journalists covering protests to carry valid identity cards issued by their respective organisations or valid PIB/DIP accreditation cards, and keep them visibly displayed at all times to facilitate identification by law enforcement at protest sites," the Delhi Police said.
Police also advised media personnel to ensure that their presence or activities do not obstruct police operations or the movement of law enforcement personnel.
The bodycam deployment, officials said, is intended to strengthen accountability during law-and-order duties as police increasingly handle large demonstrations involving political workers, students and civil society groups.