Chapter 3: First Information Report (FIR)

First Information Report

First Information Report or FIR for short, is a term of special connotation in criminal law in India. U/s. 154 of Cr. P.C., police has to record every information relating to commission of a cognizable offence in a book of FIRs.

Section 154

Section 154 of Cr.P.C is as under:

" 154. Information in cognizable cases.– (1) Every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, 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.

Provided [……….]

(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 offence, 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 offence."

Form of FIR:

The police is required to enter every information it receives about commission of a cognizable offence in this FIR book. Every FIR is serially numbered and the book is changed every year. Thus every FIR has a unique number and a unique year.