Telangana High Court seeks status report on spy camera circular

Telangana High Court directed the State government to submit a status report on implementing a circular regulating spy cameras and ensuring public safety. Heaven Homes Society highlighted inaction despite registered crimes and protests, urging immediate enforcement to protect privacy

Hyderabad: Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the State government to submit a status report on the implementation of a circular regulating spy cameras and ensuring safe public spaces.

Heaven Homes Society, a nonprofit organization, filed the writ plea complaining about the inaction of the State in implementing the circular issued on 29 March, 2025 by Director General, Women Safety wing, Telangana. The circular intended to take precautionary measures and called all the unit officers to identify sale dealers of spy cameras, shops to display Section 66(E) of the IT Act as cautionary sticker.

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The provision penalises the intentional capture, publication, or transmission of images of a private area of any person without consent with up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine up to Rs 2 lakh, or both. The circular further provided that all the establishments including restaurants, shopping malls and lodges are covered under the ambit of the Telangana Public Safety Enforcement Act, 2013 and insisted upon maintaining safety measures.

The petitioner highlighted that despite registration of crimes by police on the misuse of spy cameras and specific incidents and protests that occurred in colleges including CMR college, Medak and government polytechnic college at Mahabubnagar, the circular has been confined to paper. The society urged the court to direct the government for immediate and effective implementation of the safety norms, warning that continuing inaction endangers public safety and privacy.

The judge sought immediate response in the case considering the issue sensitive in nature.