Delhi high court has chided the government for installing
15,000 CCTV cameras within weeks for US President Barack Obama's upcoming visit
New Delhi, but failing to act fast when it comes to meet the needs of the
citizens.
So "let's get someone from outer space," a bench
of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva remarked.
The bench was hearing an application seeking that the
cameras being put up for the American President's security should not be
removed after the event in light of several incidents like the December 16
gangrape case.
"Because of a foreign President you (government) do it,
but not for Indian citizens. If we direct you to do it for Indians, you do in
months and years, else you do it in weeks. Let's get someone from outer
space," the bench said.
It also issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government and
city police and sought their responses on whether the cameras would be removed.
"Will you remove it (cameras)? You take instructions.
Notice. Delhi government, Centre and Delhi police seek time for instructions.
Renotify on January 30," the bench said.
It also remarked, "it will take them years to remove
it, if it is not vandalised before that".
The bench's observations came on an application filed by
advocate Meera Bhatia, claiming that the 15,000 CCTV cameras, which were being
installed by the government as a security measure ahead of the Obama visit to
the capital on Republic Day, should not be removed in a hurry.
"In the light of the Nirbhaya case, it is evident that
the law and order situation in Delhi demands that these cameras (being
installed for US president's arrival) should not be removed from some strategic
places like the entry and exit points of the capital and other places mapped as
the high crime rate zones here," it said.
It also alleged that despite the high court's earlier
direction to the government to install CCTV camera across the capital for
tracking rape cases and keeping vigil, the same has not been followed.
"Had the cameras been installed at the required places,
the Nirbhaya case and other the unfortunate incidents of similar nature might
have been avoided or tracked easily," the application said.?
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