New Delhi: The Supreme Court recently set a deadline expiring on July 18 for the Union government to comply with its December 2020 judgment, which directed the installation of CCTV cameras in the offices of central investigative agencies to enhance transparency and safeguard the human rights of accused and undertrials.According to The Hindu, a top court bench led by Justice B.R. Gavai expressed disappointment in a recent affidavit, stating that several agencies had failed to take any sincere measures to comply with the court’s order.“It is disheartening to note that insofar as the Union of India is concerned, out of seven investigating agencies no steps of sincere nature have been taken in case of four investigating agencies,” the bench observed.If the government fails to comply and submit an affidavit, the court directed the Union home secretary to appear personally before the court on the next hearing date to explain why they should not face charges of contempt.The December 2020 order, which was issued by a three-judge bench headed by retired Justice Rohinton Nariman, had instructed the Union government to install CCTV cameras and recording equipment in the offices of the Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, Department of Revenue Intelligence, Serious Fraud Investigation Office, and “any other agency which carries out interrogations and has the power of arrest.”In its latest order, the bench led by Justice Gavai said that only two Union Territories — Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Ladakh — and two states – Mizoram and Goa – have fully complied with the directions, making budgetary allocations as well as actually installing the CCTV cameras, according to The Hindu.“This is not an adversarial litigation. When this court had issued directions, in order to maintain transparency at the police station and the officers of the investigating agencies, the Union of India and the State Governments/Union Territories ought to have complied with the directions,” the bench added.According to the report, the court said that the chief secretary or administrator of any state government or UT administration which fails to comply with the court direction or file an affidavit before the July 18 deadline should “personally remain present in this court on the next date of hearing, to show cause as to why an action for committing contempt should not be taken against them.”