In a significant ruling aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability, the Gujarat State Information Commission has issued strict directions to the Police Department regarding the preservation and sharing of CCTV footage under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The Commission has made it clear that destruction of requested CCTV footage will lead to disciplinary action and penalties against responsible officials.
The Commission emphasized that if an RTI application is filed within 30 days of an incident, the concerned CCTV footage must be preserved until the disposal of the second appeal. The order refers to a circular issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) dated 6 May 2022 (No. GAD/102022/136/RTI Cell), which mandates this requirement. It also noted that the Director General of Police (DGP) has already issued relevant instructions for its implementation.
The issue was brought into focus by a citizen from Ahmedabad who filed an RTI application seeking CCTV footage from ShaherKotda Police Station to obtain evidence of alleged police misconduct. When he failed to receive the footage, he approached the Commission directly. During the hearing, the police claimed the footage had been deleted due to a technical fault, a justification the Commission rejected as improper.
Highlighting the frequent denial of CCTV footage by police stations, the Commission observed that many citizens rely on such evidence to support claims of mistreatment or to present in legal cases. Denying access to such footage undermines the purpose of installing surveillance cameras in police stations, it stated.
In its order dated 19 July 2025, the Commission warned that Public Information Officers (PIOs) and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs) who fail to provide requested CCTV footage would face penalties and disciplinary action under Section 20 of the RTI Act. It also invoked the Gujarat Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1971, for further action in cases of non-compliance.
The Commission directed the DGP and all Commissionerates and Superintendents of Police across Gujarat to re-circulate the earlier GAD instructions and ensure that all police personnel are made aware of the mandatory preservation and disclosure of CCTV footage in response to RTI applications.
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