Zero FIR implementation: Telangana HC gives one month to DGP to clarify

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Telangana M. Mahendar Reddy for violating Supreme Court direction in the matter of ‘Zero FIR’.

This is even as Telangana police claim that zero FIR has been made mandatory in the State towards which instructions have been given to all its police stations to register cases irrespective of jurisdictional issues.

It is to be noted that though the rule has been in existence, the issue of Zero FIR surfaced during the Disha incident. The vet doctor family lambasted the Telangana police for making them to run from pillar to post to register a missing complaint as they took the pretext of ‘jurisdiction’. Similarly, earlier this month also a woman from Vanasthalipuram faced similar trauma when she wanted to register a harassment complaint.

The current Court notice is in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by Forum Against Corruption President, Vijay Gopal. The court issued a notice on Monday seeking response in four weeks.

The State Government has not yet issued an official circular to the police officers to ensure that FIR is filed on receipt of “Cognizable offence”.

This violates the advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively and also in violation of the Supreme Court’s orders. The order says even if the alleged offense has been committed outside the jurisdiction of the police station, FIR would have to be registered and the same shall be transferred to the appropriate police station.

Vijay Gopal told NewsMeter, “To ensure officers get orders in writing and the minimum tenure are to avoid undue political influence on civil servants is an important order that was issued in 2013. However, till date the State Government has not issued any minimum tenure guidelines and orders in writing. This gives rise lack of accountability. Even the DGP has not issued any written orders for Zero FIR implementation except for media statements and orders which do not help. Hence, to bring in accountability to the complaints filed, this petition has been moved.”

Meanwhile, the DGP of Andhra Pradesh had on December 2 issued a circular memo instructing the police to file an FIR upon receipt of 'Cognizable offence' without fail.