Election Commission Confirms 2024 Lok Sabha Poll CCTV Footage Destroyed as per Rules, Sparks Legal Debate in Delhi High Court

New Delhi: Advocate Mehmood Paracha filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking the preservation of CCTV footage and videos from polling stations during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He argued that this footage is essential evidence for democratic transparency and electoral fairness and should not be destroyed. The MTA Speaks: A major question mark on the Election Commission; Is trust in democracy eroding? Full analysis here Election Commission's Response During the hearing of this petition in the Delhi High Court, the Election Commission (ECI) stated that all CCTV footage and related material had been destroyed in accordance with the rules. [caption id="attachment_166976" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Delhi High Court[/caption] Election Commission lawyer Siddhant Kumar informed the court that destruction of the footage was mandatory under the revised guidelines issued on May 30, 2025. According to these rules, polling day recordings, webcasting material, and images can only be preserved for a maximum of 45 days, unless an election petition is filed. Arguments in Court During the hearing, Paracha argued before Justice Mini Pushkarna's bench that since his petition was already pending in court, the commission should not have destroyed the footage. Citing paragraph 19.10.4 of the Election Commission's 2023 Handbook, he said that it is necessary to preserve video recordings in case of pending legal disputes or complaints. Akhilesh Yadav slams Election Commission: ‘Can debunk its own scam with AI, but ignores 17,986 SP affidavits’ Election Commission's Stand In its defense, the Commission stated that the purpose of destroying the footage was to maintain the secrecy and integrity of the election process. If these videos had been kept for a longer period, individuals or organizations unrelated to the election could have misused them on social media. Election Commission launches e-sign feature, Aadhaar-linked mobile number required for voter registration Therefore, as per the rules, all the footage was deleted and is no longer available to any District Election Officer. This case has now become a major legal issue balancing electoral transparency versus confidentiality. The next court hearing may clarify whether there will be any changes in the rules regarding the preservation of election footage in the future. Stay tuned to Dynamite News for further updates.