Hit‑and‑Run Deaths Rise Amid CCTV Failures in Nagpur

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Nagpur has seen a troubling increase in fatal hit‑and‑run incidents, raising serious concerns over road safety and law enforcement capabilities in the city. Officials have confirmed that a significant portion of the public surveillance network, approximately 2,400 CCTV cameras, are currently non‑functional, severely limiting the ability to identify offenders and secure convictions.

The recent death of a man in Jaripatka has become a stark example of the problem. The victim was struck by an unidentified vehicle, but due to the absence of functioning public CCTV in the vicinity, investigators were unable to obtain immediate visual evidence of the collision. This delay in acquiring critical information hampered enforcement action in the crucial hours following the incident.

Police sources say the outage in the city’s CCTV network is not a new issue. Many cameras have reportedly been offline for months due to technical faults, lack of maintenance, or delayed upgrades. These lapses have not only affected road accident investigations but have also hindered probes into other criminal cases, including theft, assaults, and vandalism.

In response to the growing public frustration, Nagpur Police have appealed directly to citizens for assistance. Authorities are urging private residents, shop owners, and businesses with operational CCTV systems to review their footage and share any recordings that could aid ongoing hit‑and‑run investigations. Officials stress that even brief or partially obscured recordings can help identify suspects or confirm vehicle details.

Traffic experts warn that the spike in hit‑and‑run cases is linked not only to enforcement challenges but also to rising vehicle density, reckless driving, and inadequate road safety measures. They argue that while functional CCTV systems are a powerful deterrent and investigative tool, broader road safety policies, including better street lighting, stricter traffic monitoring, and swift penalties for offenders, are necessary to reverse the trend.

Residents have expressed frustration over the state of public surveillance. Many argue that with taxpayers’ money invested in the installation of the citywide CCTV network, it is unacceptable for such a large portion of the system to be out of service. Calls for urgent repair, regular maintenance schedules, and accountability from relevant municipal and state authorities are growing louder.

The civic administration has yet to issue a comprehensive statement addressing the camera failures, though senior officials have acknowledged the problem and indicated that technical teams are working to restore service.

As Nagpur grapples with the twin challenges of rising road fatalities and weakened surveillance infrastructure, the community is increasingly relying on a combination of public‑private cooperation and grassroots vigilance to maintain safety on the streets. Without swift corrective action to restore the city’s CCTV capabilities, experts warn that both crime prevention and justice delivery will continue to suffer.