Why police surveillance and facial recognition at Jantar Mantar are under legal challenge

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 25, 2026 09:49 AM IST India currently lacks a dedicated legal framework regulating the use of facial recognition technology and AI surveillance by law enforcement agencies. Express photo by Abhinav SahaA public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Delhi High Court has challenged the use of a permanent surveillance tower and high-tech police vans equipped with facial recognition technology monitoring protestors at Jantar Mantar. The petition has raised questions about the balance between police surveillance and the fundamental right to privacy in public spaces. The challenge in courtThe PIL, filed by former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh, challenges what it describes as the “continuous, indiscriminate and intrusive surveil