Security surveillance across Jammu has been beefed up with CCTV cameras being installed in the region at important locations, as per an order issued by Jammu District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya.
Issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the directive aims to leverage technology for improved security monitoring. These cameras will cover banks, ATMs, jewellery stores, petrol stations, shopping complexes, restaurants, hotels, cinemas, liquor outlets, schools, religious sites, transport hubs, hospitals and offices.
Business owners and commercial associations are required to install CCTV cameras within two weeks. The cameras must cover entry and exit points within a 40-metre radius, operate continuously with a power backup, provide a minimum resolution of 1920x1080, and retain footage for at least 30 days.
Law enforcement officials can request CCTV footage whenever necessary, and any suspicious activity must be reported to the local Station House Officer (SHO).
SHOs will keep records of non-compliant establishments and forward the details to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Jammu.
The order came into effect on February 17, 2025, and will be valid for eight weeks, with the possibility of extension or modification. Non-compliance will result in legal action under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Improving surveillance has been ordered to counter threats to security in the region. The development comes in the wake of a series of attacks by militants in the Jammu region in which several security forces personnel and civilians lost their lives.
There are apprehensions that with the passing of winter, the threat of infiltration from across the Line of Control and International Border (IB) will rise.
Security forces are maintaining a high vigil on the LoC and IB to deal with possible infiltration threats. This comes as incidents of firing and IED blasts along the LoC have killed two soldiers and injured two others.