What is an FIR?

August 6, 2014

The term FIR stands for First Information Report, which is the process of registering a complaint at the police station. The officer in charge must write the complaint and read it aloud for the convenience of the informant. It is mandatory for the informant to sign and receive his own copy of the FIR which is free of cost.

The complaint is filed in order to inform the police about a crime that has either been committed or is in the process of being committed. An FIR is filed mainly in the case of cognizable offences like murder, rape, theft and other non-bailable offences where an arrest can be made without a warrant.

In the case of non cognizable offences like forgery, assault and adultery, a police officer requires a warrant in order to make the arrest. This can only be made after receiving permission from the magistrate. A copy of the FIR is sent to the judicial magistrate and only after the police receive their instructions, action can be taken against the non cognizable offence.

While filing an FIR, it is better to know the location of the crime and whether the area falls in the jurisdiction of the police station that you approach. Get familiar with the police stations and their jurisdictions before visiting the police station. However, in the case of an emergency you can approach the closest police station even if the crime is committed outside jurisdiction.

Source: This information was obtained from the website of the Mumbai Police – https://mumbaipolice.maharashtra.gov.in/

Tags: Personal Safety

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