Punjab Police Can No Longer Use 'No Password' Excuse for CCTV Access, Rules High Court

In a major directive aimed at enforcing accountability within law enforcement, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) to implement a mechanism within one month ensuring court-appointed warrant officers get immediate access to police station CCTV footage during surprise inspections in habeas corpus matters. Justice Varinder Aggarwal issued the order while disposing of a habeas corpus petition filed through advocate Takdeer Sidhu. The petition alleged that police personnel at a Fazilka station had illegally detained a man's wife and daughter. While disposing of the petition after the alleged detainees returned home, the court ordered the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Fazilka, to conduct an independent fact-finding inquiry into the alleged detention of the woman, her daughter, and two other individuals. The high court's directives came after a court-appointed warrant officer reported facing severe obstacles while inspecting a police station. According to the officer's report, the Station House Officer (SHO) refused access to CCTV footage, claiming he lacked the password and that viewing required approval from senior officers. Refusing to accept such justifications, Justice Aggarwal clarified that while general administrative procedures require senior approvals or specific credentials, these requirements cannot be permitted to hinder the immediate execution of a judicial warrant. The court observed that any delay during an inspection creates a risk of alleged detainees being shifted elsewhere, thereby frustrating the core purpose of appointing a warrant officer to ascertain illegal custody fairly and swiftly. To address these procedural loopholes, the high court instructed the DGP to review and modify existing departmental procedures to establish a fast, accessible system. The court mandated the appointment of a dedicated nodal officer in every district or regional unit available 24/7 to facilitate CCTV access. Furthermore, a dedicated communication channel—including an official contact number, WhatsApp number, or email ID—must be established so SHOs and warrant officers can immediately reach the assigned nodal officer. Justice Aggarwal warned that any deliberate refusal, obstruction, unnecessary delay, failure to produce footage, or concealment of information under excuses such as missing passwords, non-functioning systems, or unavailable officers will be viewed with extreme gravity.