Sambhajinagar police make CCTV mandatory for hotels, other private establishments

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 8 (PTI) The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city police on Wednesday made installation of CCTV cameras mandatory for private establishments including hotels, petrol pumps and even newly constructed residential buildings. Police Commissioner Pravin Pawar issued the directive under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, citing increasing crime in the city. CCTV footage has emerged as an important tool for solving crimes, but in several cases, private establishments near a crime scene did not have CCTV cameras, or they lacked adequate field of view or recording quality or storage capacity, the directive said. Establishments must install CCTV cameras in sufficient numbers and with an appropriate field of view to ensure recording of activities up to a radius of 50 metres from the boundary of the premises, the order said. Further, CCTV systems should remain operational at all times and must have a minimum recording storage capacity of 15 days, the commissioner said. The order applies to banks, ATMs, financial institutions, jewellery shops, hotels, guest houses, restaurants, bars and permit rooms, wine shops, residential complexes, office buildings, newly constructed residential and commercial buildings, petrol pumps, shopping complexes and malls, supermarkets, business hubs, coaching classes, sports schools, tuitions centres, theaters, educational institutions, religious places, hospitals and trusts. PTI AW KRK