Dikhyaa Mohanty 
By March 31, 2025, the Odisha government is required by the Orissa High Court to install CCTV cameras in all police stations and outposts. At the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the alleged abuse of custody of a serving Army soldier and his fiancée in Bhubaneswar, a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho gave this directive. The court underlined that in order to improve accountability and transparency in police, the CCTV systems must be connected to the Central Monitoring System (CMS) via a Video Management System (VMS).
Additionally, the bench highlighted the importance of strictly adhering to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) established by the Odisha government for interactions with members of the armed forces in police stations. It directed that all police officers be made aware of these procedures and instructed the state to circulate the SOP in Odia across all police stations and outposts.
According to an affidavit submitted by Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Dayal Gangwar, 96% of the state’s 645 police stations have already been integrated with the CMS at the State Police Headquarters in Cuttack. The court’s directives underscore the need for greater accountability and modernization in the state’s policing framework, aiming to protect citizens’ rights and prevent incidents of custodial misconduct.
