Policemen refusing to register an FIR (First Information Report) should be considered a crime, a parliamentary panel has “strongly recommended” to the government.
The panel’s recommendation furthers the scope of an earlier Home Ministry order to prosecute police officers who raise the bogey of jurisdiction while refusing to file FIR.
After the 16 December 2013 gangrape case in Delhi, Home Ministry had instructed all the states and the union territories to prosecute cops under Indian Penal Code who fail to file an FIR on jurisdictional ground. The directive said that failure to register FIR on receipt of information about any cognisable offence will invite prosecution of the duty police officer under IPC Section 166A (government official disobeying law) which will invite imprisonment up to one year, said a TOI report.
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An FIR is a legal document that sets the process of investigation in motion. Police often refuse to register an FIR mostly because it will help them artificially lower crime rate in their station and achieve target. It could also be because the accused is an influential person.
The panel also doubted the claim of the government that around 78% police stations in the country are registering 100% FIRs. It said it 'would like to know the basis used to arrive' at this claim, reported Hindustan Times.
The panel headed by former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram also expressed its 'displeasure' over government's 'vague' and 'evasive' reply to such grave issues.
