How The State Is Using Section 144 & Private Citizens For ‘Warrantless Surveillance’

A study of the orders passed under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in 2021 in Delhi reveals how a law that gives the state extraordinary powers to curb civil liberties in cases of a public emergency is used for surveillance. By coercing private citizens to install CCTV cameras and businesses to keep track of their employees and customers, the researchers conclude the police are not only imposing “positive obligations” not envisaged by the law but also carrying out “warrantless surveillance” in the national capital.