Mumbai: Bombay High Court has directed the state director general of police to conduct a fact-finding exercise across all police stations in Maharashtra and submit a report on the functioning of CCTV cameras and the period of preservation of their footage.Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad on Wednesday were hearing a petition by Ghatkopar resident Prashant Kokane, 35, seeking preservation of CCTV footage of the office of DCP (Zone 7) and Ghatkopar police station between March 17 and 20, 2025.On March 17, 2025, he submitted a complaint to the ration office regarding a bogus ration card. On March 20, 2025, chapter proceedings — preventive measures to maintain public order — were initiated by the DCP, who is also special executive magistrate. Kokane said this was done by the opposite party in collusion with police to pressure him to withdraw the complaint. In April 2025, the HC disposed of Kokane’s petition after the state said chapter proceedings would be withdrawn and his allegations against police officers would be brought to the notice of senior authorities to take appropriate action.On March 5, 2026, Kokane filed another petition for preserving the CCTV footage as the inquiry was on.Additional public prosecutor Mankunwar Deshmukh, citing a July 2025 written communication of the senior inspector that CCTV footage is preserved for six months, said it is not available considering the incident is of March 2025.Kokane referred to HC’s March 2022 order in which the state had undertaken to upgrade CCTV systems in police stations and that necessary steps would be taken to ensure recording/data backup is kept for 18 months and not just 12 months. He also submitted his April 15, 2025, application to the senior inspector to preserve the CCTV footage “which was within a month” of the alleged incident. “In view of the above,” the judges directed the DGP to “take an overall view of all police stations” and submit a report on Aug 20. The report should also indicate what steps were taken after the March 2022 order and “why has the Ghatkopar police station reported to us that the CCTV footage cannot be preserved after 6 months and is not available.”
