Why so much secrecy around India Gate construction: Delhi HC

The counsel replied that the Delhi government is not carrying out construction, and that the Ministry of Defence is building a National War Memorial at India Gate to honour those who have laid down their lives for the country since Independence.

The bench then asked whether the Delhi government has no right to know what is being constructed. It also asked what was the point of maintaining secrecy when CCTV cameras around the India Gate roundabout in the Lutyens’ Zone were non-functional.

The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it, after receiving a letter from an AIIMS physiotherapist.  The man claimed that on the night of June 28, the driver of a speeding vehicle, coming from the opposite direction near India Gate circle, assaulted him and sped away. The letter also stated that when he went to the police station to lodge a complaint, he was told that the other vehicle could not be traced as there were no functional CCTVs in the area.
Terming the incident “unfortunate”, the bench had said that if the cameras were functional, instances of “road rage would come to an end”. It also sought a response on the number of CCTVs in the capital and how many of them were functional.

Satyakam Tuesday submitted that there are around 4,800 CCTVs. He added that he is awaiting a response on the number of functional CCTVs from district authorities.  The counsel also told the court that between July 2017 and July 30, 2018, there were around 6,000 road rage cases, of which 1,400 incidents have remained untraced.

The court fixed the matter for October 20, asking the authorities concerned to file details of functional CCTVs.