What Is A Zero FIR And Why It Is Registered

Relevance: GS 2 - Indian Polity and Governance.

(Source: Indian Express, 07/28/23)

Click here for Daily Current Affairs

Why in the news?

According to the Indian Express Report, 1,700 zero FIRs have been registered at the Churachandpur police station, more than 800 zero FIRs have been registered at the Kangpokpi police station, and around 202 such FIRs have been registered at the Saikul police station due to ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki in Manipur.

What is Zero FIR?

• When a police station receives a complaint regarding an alleged offence that has been committed in the jurisdiction of another police station, it registers an FIR and then transfers it to the relevant police station for further investigation.
• This is called a Zero FIR. No regular FIR number is given.
• After receiving the Zero FIR, the revenant police station registers a fresh FIR and starts the investigation.
  • The provision of Zero FIR came up after the recommendation in the report of the Justice Verma Committee, which was set up after the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case.
• A Zero FIR can be filed in any Police Station by the victim, irrespective of their residence or the place of occurrence of the crime.

Objective of Zero FIR

• The objective of a Zero FIR is to ensure the victim doesn’t have to run from pillar to post to get a police complaint registered.
• The provision is meant to provide speedy redressal to the victim so that timely action can be taken after the filing of the FIR.

What is an FIR?

• The term First Information Report (FIR) is not defined in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, or in any other law, but in police regulations or rules, information recorded under Section 154 of CrPC is known as First Information Report (FIR).
• There are three important elements of an FIR:
  • the information must relate to the commission of a cognizable offence.
  • it should be given in writing or orally to the head of the police station and
  • it must be written down and signed by the informant, and its key points should be recorded in a daily diary.

(*Click this link to read prelims specific weekly current affairs articles)

FAQs

MCQ

Question: Consider the following statements:

1. A Zero FIR can be filed in any Police Station by the victim, irrespective of their residence or the place of occurrence of the crime.
2. The objective of a Zero FIR is to ensure the victim doesn’t have to run from pillar to post to get a police complaint registered.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2