A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking mandatory use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel deployed for crowd control and protests. This comes amid allegations of misconduct by security personnel during recent demonstrations held at the Jantar Mantar .
The plea asks the court to direct authorities to frame rules or a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) requiring personnel on crowd-control duty to wear body cameras, ANI reported. Cameras have been issued to personnel handling crowd management and security around protest sites, as well as those deployed along roads leading to the Election Commission office, PTI reported. It also seeks clear rules on how the recorded footage should be stored, protected and kept for a specified period, and how it can be used as evidence. The decision follows complaints by three women journalists who alleged sexual harassment and manhandling by police while covering a protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. One of the journalists alleged that ACP Vivek Bhagat sexually assaulted her while she was recording police action during the demonstration. The journalists approached the police after the alleged incidents and underwent medical examinations. The allegations have triggered protests outside Parliament Street police station. Journalists, activists and others demand an FIR and action against the cop named in the complaints. The police have also issued guidelines for journalists covering protests, asking them to carry valid identity cards issued by their organisations or PIB/DIP accreditation cards and keep them visibly displayed. They have been advised to ensure their reporting does not obstruct police operations or the movement of security personnel.
On October 5, police detained a group, including journalists and one of the complainants, that gathered outside the station after they spent the night there.
Police said the devices would record interactions with protesters in real time and provide an objective record of events in case complaints are made against officers or demonstrators. Delhi Police said the three complaints were transferred to the Crime Branch. They said the gathering violated restrictions in force in the New Delhi district.
