SC cites 26/11 Mumbai attack to count benefits of CCTV in courts

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday cited the ghastly 26/11 Mumbai attack and 2016 Patiala House court violence in Delhi to count on the benefits of installations of CCTV cameras in courts and tribunals, saying it wanted to bring discipline, security and oversight in judicial proceedings.

The top court, while referring to the CCTV grab of convict Ajmal Kasab at Victoria Terminus railway station, said it had proved detrimental for him during the trial, reports PTI.

Similarly, the bench also cited case of Swapnil alias Pintu Shirke, who was lynched inside district court premises in Nagpur on February 11, 2002, saying there was no CCTV evidence and despite the murder having taken before hundreds of people, no one came forward.

A bench of Justices Adarsh Goel and U U Lalit lauded the government for the “good work” done in installations of CCTV cameras in several tribunals, including the National Green Tribunal, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and National Company Law Tribunal.

“Like 26/11 Mumbai attacks where CCTV cameras at the Victoria Terminus railway station caught one of the perpetrators of the incident, the CCTV use can be beneficial,” it said.

There were attacks in court premises also, like the Nagpur court case where the murder took place in broad daylight but no one came forward, it said.