Criminal Law Videos - Refusal of registration of a First Information Report (FIR)

If Police officer concerned (SHO), refuses to Register complaint/FIR, than by virtue of section 156(3), a written Complaint may be send by Post to the Superintendent of Police or the Commissioner of Police (in Metropolitan areas); If Superintendent of Police or the Commissioner of Police (in Metropolitan areas) is satisfied that the Complaint discloses cognizable offence, he may himself investigate the case or cause the investigation of the case by any Police officer subordinate to him.

Even after that if no any action has been taken then an application can be made under section 156(3) read with section 190 of Code of Criminal Procedure to a judicial Magistrate/ Metropolitan Magistrate thereby praying that police to register the FIR., investigate the case, file charge-sheet or report.

A Writ Petition in the respective High Court may be filed for the issuance of Writ of Mandamus against the defaulting Police officers, inter alia, to Register the FIR and directing him to show cause

• why he has not registered the FIR;
• why disciplinary proceedings for "Misconduct" should not be initiated against him for dereliction of duty;
• why he should not be suspended from Police service for interfering in the administration of justice and shielding the accused person.

You can file an online complaint, find relevant information and also get the contact details of each State's own Human Rights Commission office on the website of the National Human Rights Commission http://nhrc.nic.in.

Refusing to register an FIR on jurisdictional ground could now cost a policeman a year in jail. Taking strong view of increasing instances of such acts by police in various states, the Union home ministry has issued strict instructions to all states to not only initiate departmental inquiry against such cops but also prosecute them under Indian Penal Code.

The home ministry told the states and Union Territories to clearly instruct all police stations that failure to register FIR on receipt of information about any cognizable offence will invite prosecution of the duty police officer under I.P.C. Section 166A (government official disobeying law) which will invite imprisonment up to one year.

In its latest directive, the MHA told the states and UTs that policemen should be sensitized to respond to complaints with alacrity, whether it is from man or woman, and must apprehend the accused immediately after the complaint, as it adversely impacts the victim and there is tendency of persons committing crimes to slip away when there is delay on extraneous grounds like jurisdiction.