Questions raised over lack of CCTVs in Nalagarh court

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, September 1

Lack of close circuit televisions (CCTVs) in Nalagarh court has become a cause of concern among the residents and lawyers after the recent firing incident.

Police probe revealed that the miscreants involved on the firing last week had entered from Rajpura village and the bike they were riding was caught in a CCTV. Their exit, however, could not be ascertained as the duo fled on foot, informed SP Baddi, Mohit Chawla.

SDPO told to draft security plan

The SDPO has been directed to prepare an exhaustive security plan for the court complex. An armed guard has been stationed there and need to secure the access from the canteen and other areas is required. — Mohit Chawla, SP, Baddi

The police claim to have identified the duo and different teams were working in order to nab them. The duo had spent sizable time in the area and meticulously planned their entry and exit. The police were yet to ascertain if the assailants had come to free the undertrial or to eliminate him as claims and counter-claims were being made by various gangs.

The Baddi SP said, “In view of the recent firing incident, Sub Divisional Police Office at Nalagarh has been directed to prepare an exhaustive security plan for the court complex. An armed guard has been stationed there and need to secure the access from the canteen and other areas was direly required.”

Though the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) police have won the National e-Governance Silver Award for their Third Eye, evidence-based policing with CCTV surveillance matrix in the industrial hub in December last year, the court complex did not have any CCTV.

As many as 2,038 CCTV cameras were installed in the Baddi police district under the private public partnership (PPP) mode since 2019. The number has now gone up to 2500, claim the police.

Though their installation has helped in speedier crime detection continuous flow of funds is needed for their maintenance and repair. “Availability of funds for their annual maintenance is a challenge though some funds are available from the BBN Development Authority and under the corporate social responsibility plan, etc,” said the SP.

The advantage of having a good penetration of CCTVs in the BBN area appears to be losing out as in the absence of timely repair a large number of them had become dysfunctional. The failure to nab the miscreants as they escaped on foot points to their improper functioning.

An undertrial, who had escaped from the court complex in April, has not been nabbed till now. No instant support of CCTVs available at the time of such incidents shows that their repair and maintenance was lacking.

Criminals visit courts for hearing of their cases. It has been observed that at times their supporters try to create unruly scenes outside. Instances of supporters of the criminals entering the Nalagarh court complex armed with swords have also come to fore.

“Since a request has been made by the lawyers to provide CCTVs in the court complex at Nalagarh efforts are being made to provide the same under the corporate social responsibility scheme,” informed SDM Nalagarh Mahendra Pal.

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