Citizens can film cops at PS and other public places: CP

Nagpur: In a bid to remove misconceptions about the Bombay high court order allowing citizens to record a video inside a police station, commissioner of police Amitesh Kumar has issued yet another circular on June 13 clarifying certain facts.
Kumar is learnt to have issued first circular in December, 2022, clarifying that videography inside police stations would not constitute an offence under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. The top cop, during a media interaction, had also explained the order and how it can be followed even at other public places apart from police stations.
While quashing an FIR against a Wardha man, booked under the Official Secrets Act for filming a conversation at a police station secretly in 2018, the high court had stated that a police station cannot be categorized as prohibited place as per the definition of the Official Secret Act and hence recording a conversation there cannot be labelled as theft of secret information.
Kumar said a second circular had to be issued after reports of skirmishes on the issue of videography inside police station were referred to him. “We are following the high court judgment regarding the citizen’s right to record proceedings inside a police station. As public servants, the police can be video-graphed inside or outside the police station while discharging his/her duty,” said the top cop.
CP Kumar, however, stressed on the aspect of dignity and modesty of women personnel urging people to be careful about not to hurt their sentiments too.
In the circular, Kumar had urged the cops to follow the court’s norms in case there is need to register any offence under the Official Secrets Act.
An activist and high court lawyer Tushar Mandlekar welcomed the HC order as a path-breaking diktat to protect the rights of the people.
“With the high court ruling, allowing videography is a law now which cannot be breached until challenged and modified by the apex court,” said Mandlekar.
City too had witnessed a case a couple of years ago in which lawyer-cum-activist Ankita Shah was booked by Lakadganj police for filming the cops and proceeding inside the chamber of police inspector and then at the lounge. The cops had seized Shah’s phone and a case was registered against her.
According to a senior cop, the high court order would be followed along with the direction of the CP but this would discourage any efforts of offering suggestions in good faith which may or may not be legally correct.
“Many a time, cops act on social impulse and act flexibly as per the situation which may not conform to the rule book. This would now be not possible in front of cameras and hence expect strict adherence to rules, howsoever harsh they may be,” said a senior inspector, on the condition of anonymity.