Court permits petitioner to approach District Magistrate; directs decision within one month on complaint over camera covering entry and exit of house
The Allahabad High Court has held that a private CCTV camera cannot be installed or positioned in a way that interferes with the privacy of a neighbour. Deciding a writ petition filed by Yogendra Maurya, a Division Bench comprising Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Garima Prashad observed that surveillance by a neighbour becomes objectionable when it exposes the entry to and exit from another person’s home and affects the privacy of residents and visitors.
The case arose from a complaint by the petitioner, Yogendra Maurya, who alleged that a CCTV camera installed by his neighbour was directed in such a manner that it captured movement at his house, including the entry and exit of people visiting him. He argued that such positioning violated his right to privacy.
After hearing counsel for the petitioner and the Standing Counsel for the State, the High Court accepted the principle that private surveillance devices cannot be used in a manner that intrudes upon the privacy of others. The Bench stated in clear terms that no private CCTV camera can be installed and positioned so as to interfere with the privacy of a neighbour.
Instead of issuing a direct coercive order in the writ petition, the Court disposed of the matter with liberty to the petitioner to file an application before the concerned District Magistrate. The Court further directed that if such an application is filed, the District Magistrate must consider and decide it within one month.
The ruling is significant in the context of increasing use of private surveillance cameras in residential areas. While CCTV cameras are often installed for security reasons, the Court’s order underscores that such devices cannot be used in a way that compromises the personal privacy of neighbouring households. The judgment reinforces that the right to privacy extends to protection against intrusive private surveillance, especially when it concerns the entrance and exit of one’s home.
The decision was delivered on October 26, 2026, in Writ - C No. 42270 of 2026, Yogendra Maurya v. State of U.P. and 7 others.
Bottom Line:
Right to privacy - Private CCTV camera cannot be installed or positioned in such a manner as to interfere with privacy of neighbour by exposing entry to and exit from neighbour's house - Aggrieved person permitted to approach District Magistrate - District Magistrate directed to consider and decide application within one month.
Statutory provision(s): Right to Privacy (constitutional principle under Article 21 of the Constitution of India)
Yogendra Maurya v. State of U.P., (Allahabad)(DB) : Law Finder Doc id # 3009481
