Udaipur – A young civil engineer’s attempt to expose police corruption and bribery through mobile videography has led to severe consequences. The incident, which occurred on 2023 Holi , involved a youth named Vikas Bherviya who was stopped by a constable, Devilal, while he was en route to pick up medicines for himself and his father.

On that Sunday, Devilal, in plain clothes, forcibly stopped Vikas, seized his motorcycle keys, and threw them to another constable. This action caused Vikas to nearly fall. When Vikas protested and requested either a challan or a checking memo to expedite his urgent trip, Devilal demanded ₹500 for a quicker resolution or insisted he stay put. Upset by this demand, Vikas decided to record a video and complain to higher authorities. Devilal became enraged, threatening to have Vikas’s vehicle impounded.

Vikas’s attempt to speak with other officers and report the corruption was met with resistance. Observing other motorcyclists being allowed to leave without proper checks while bribes were taken, Vikas began recording the evidence. Devilal then took Vikas to the police station, forcibly took his mobile phone, and deleted the recorded evidence.

At the station, Vikas was subjected to verbal abuse, physical assault with a stick, and was stripped of his clothes before being locked up in a cell. Despite Vikas’s brother, Jaywant Bherviya, inquiring about him with the Station House Officer (SHO) Hanumant Singh, the SHO initially claimed ignorance. Later, the SHO misled Jaywant, stating that Vikas was outside making videos, while he was actually detained and beaten inside the station.

Additionally, Vikas’s wallet containing ₹5000 was stolen by the police. Although Vikas complained about this theft, the authorities denied any wrongdoing despite CCTV footage clearly showing the confiscation of his watch, wallet, glasses, and mobile phone. The police’s acceptance of bribes from motorists and failure to issue proper challans led to a loss of government revenue and exemplified corruption.

After filing a complaint with the District Police Superintendent and receiving no action, Vikas obtained CCTV footage through an RTI request and sought stringent action against SHO Hanumant Singh, Constable Devilal, and other officers involved under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The sequence of events was documented through CCTV footage showing Constable Virendra dragging Vikas into a room and Devilal assaulting him. At 3:49 PM, Constable Virendra began dragging Vikas, followed by Devilal arriving with a stick and assaulting him until 3:56 PM. By 3:57 PM, Vikas was stripped, his belongings seized, and he was placed in a lockup.

When Jaywant contacted SHO Hanumant Singh at 4:03 PM, the SHO falsely claimed Vikas was outside making videos. To cover up their illegal actions, the police fabricated a vehicle check memo and filed a false complaint (31/2023) at 4:19 PM.

Vikas presented a detailed complaint with evidence to the then-SP Bhuvan Bhushan and, after inaction, to IG Ajaypal Lamba. Following an extended delay and officer changes, Vikas sought information through RTI, but received no responses.

Unable to find justice within the local police system, Vikas has escalated his complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and has indicated that he will approach the High Court if necessary for justice.

SC directives in CCTVs at police stations

Notably, In December 2020, a bench led by the then-retired Justice R.F. Nariman issued a directive for the installation of CCTV cameras and recording equipment at the offices of investigating agencies in response to a custodial torture case.

The Supreme Court mandated that all states and union territories install CCTV systems in every police station, covering all entry and exit points, gates, lock-ups, corridors, lobbies, and areas outside lock-up rooms to ensure comprehensive surveillance.

This order built on a 2017 ruling, which had previously called for CCTV installations across police stations to monitor human rights abuses and crime scenes, and the establishment of a Central Oversight Committee in each state and union territory to oversee these measures.