Treat all complaints as FIR, ministry tells cops

Faced with repeated public complaints on non-registration of cases by police, the Home Ministry has decided to issue a circular to all states asking them to ensure that all complaints received by police stations should be treated as FIRs. The circular, to be issued next week, will direct state governments and Union Territories to ensure free and total registration of all complaints as FIRs, sources in the Home Ministry said.

The move came following repeated complaints received from public that police forces often adopt dilly-dallying tactics and show reluctance to register a FIR immediately on a complaint. The objective of the circular is that even if a complaint is false, police have to investigate it after registering the FIR.

"If the complaint is found to be false, police can always drop the FIR. But that should not be a deterrent in registering genuine complaints as FIR," an official said. The move came following allegations from the family of Ruchika Girhotra that when they lodge a complaint against former Haryana Director General of Police S P S Rathore in the molestation case, police initially refused the register an FIR.

The police also refused to register a case when Ruchika's brother was harassed by police on false charges. The government, in the proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code, wants to make it mandatory for Station House Officer to give reasons for registration of a case as well as non-registration of case after receiving a complaint.