Delhi Police has deployed body cameras for personnel stationed at Jantar Mantar, where protests related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) are under way, to record interactions and preserve evidence during demonstrations.
According to a report by Jagran – New Delhi, police personnel posted at the protest venue have been provided with body-worn cameras. Senior officers are also expected to wear the devices while monitoring security arrangements at the site.
The cameras are intended to record significant activity during protests, including conversations and interactions between police personnel and demonstrators. Police officials will be able to use the footage as evidence if an incident takes place, the report said.
The deployment comes after allegations were made against police personnel during an earlier demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Three women journalists accused police personnel of sexual harassment and misbehaviour during that protest. One journalist also alleged that Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat assaulted her.
The allegations led to questions about the conduct of police personnel and the handling of interactions between officers, protesters and members of the media at the venue. The latest measure is intended to create a contemporaneous record of such encounters and assist investigations into complaints against police personnel.
Jantar Mantar is a designated location for demonstrations in the national capital, making the management of protests a recurring public-administration responsibility. At the site, police must simultaneously manage crowd safety, movement, access controls and interactions between demonstrators, officials and journalists. Body-worn cameras can provide an additional record of these encounters, although the report does not specify the number of devices deployed, the officers required to activate them or the period for which recordings will be retained.
The footage is also expected to help establish the sequence of events when disputes arise between police and protesters. The report said recordings could be used to examine allegations made against police personnel and present what occurred during an incident.
The deployment follows the police decision to strengthen both security and accountability arrangements at the protest site. Further operational details, including the applicable recording and storage procedures, were not provided in the report.
