Introduction
Everyone has a perspective of police that they always delay in their investigation or they always reach crime scene late, or they don’t support in filling a complaint and will make you run to other police station in the name of jurisdiction. Moreover, we have all heard about First Information Report but very few have heard about ‘Zero FIR’. Zero FIR was made to quicken up and make 0the investigation effective.
What is Zero FIR?
Zero FIR is very much similar to the traditional FIR which is filed physically in the Police Station of the area of crime. And they contrast in the place of filing of complaint meaning, the FIR is filed by a complainant on the information of crime to the nearest or jurisdictional police station where the incident has occurred to conduct an investigation whereas a Zero FIR may be lodged in any police station irrespective of the jurisdiction of the incident happening anywhere.
First Information Report is defined under section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 which says that information in cognizable cases.
(1) Every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offense, if given orally to an officer in charge of a police station, shall be reduced to writing by him or under his direction, and be read Over to the informant; and every such information, whether given in writing or reduced to writing as aforesaid, shall be signed by the person giving it, and the substance thereof shall be entered in a book to be kept by such officer in such form as the State Government may prescribe in this behalf.
(2) A copy of the information as recorded under sub-section (1) shall be given forthwith, free of cost, to the informant.
(3) Any person aggrieved by a refusal on the part of an officer in charge of a police station to record the information referred to in subsection (1) may send the substance of such information, in writing and by post, to the Superintendent of Police concerned who, if satisfied that such information discloses the commission of a cognizable offense, shall either investigate the case himself or direct an investigation to be made by any police officer subordinate to him, in the manner provided by this Code, and such officer shall have all the powers of an officer in charge of the police station in relation to that offense.
The objective of a Zero FIR
As we all gathered that Zero FIR can come out as a more efficient and effective way without facing any inconvenience or delay while registering FIR in the respective police station.
Objectives of filing a zero FIR are as follows:
- To avoid any sort of delay and any other kind of interference.
- To provide protection to the victim.
- To make police obligated to take the jurisdiction.
- Timely jurisdiction to be taken as soon as FIR registration.
- To make sure that the investigation is done effectively.
- To commission the case quickly.
Who can register a Zero FIR
FIR can be registered by the victim himself, or any of a family or a relative, or any other individual who has knowledge of the facts relating to the incident on behalf of the victim.
How to register a Zero FIR
Before filing a Zero FIR we need to know that whether the offense is cognizable or non-cognizable. FIR is registered in cases of cognizable offense whereas in non-cognizable cases the police only take and register your complaint but will not treat it as an FIR and will keep the information General Diary.
The steps upon which the FIR is registered are as follows:
- The nature of the offense should be cognizable.
- The information may be submitted in written and if the information is given orally by the complainant then it must be reduced into writing and read over to the Informant by the police officer.
- It will after getting signed be recorded in the ‘station house diary’ or ‘case diary’ as prescribed by the State government.
- After that, a copy of the FIR will be given free of cost to the informant.
