LALITA KUMARI V/s GOVT. OF UTTAR PRADESH & OTHERS
- In this matter, the issue revolves around the statutory mandate for a police officer to register a First Information Report (FIR) upon receipt of any information concerning the commission of a cognizable offense, as prescribed by Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC).
- Section 154 empowers a police officer to conduct a preliminary inquiry to assess the veracity of said information. However, the bench unequivocally asserted that FIR registration is obligatory under Section 154 of the CRPC, categorically prohibiting any preliminary inquiry in cases of serious and heinous offenses. It was decreed that a police officer cannot evade their duty in this respect, and admonition must be administered to officers who neglect to register FIR.
- The court delineated a catalog of such cases, encompassing disputes of matrimonial/familial nature and commercial offenses, where any delay in commencing criminal proceedings is impermissible. Moreover, it was mandated that any preliminary inquiry be initiated within 7 days.
- Presently, there exists a proposal to extend this timeframe to 15 days for normal cases and 6 weeks for exceptional cases. Additionally, emphasis was placed on the imperative duty of a police officer to file FIR in cases concerning females, thereby ensuring meticulous attention to such matters without fail.
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