Taking serious note of false first information reports (FIR) being lodged by some people, the Allahabad High Court has asked the police in Uttar Pradesh to mandatorily initiate prosecution against those who lodge such false or malicious reports.
The court also warned that failure to do so would render the police officers liable for prosecution and departmental action.
“If the observation made by this Court is not followed in letter and spirit, it would amount to contempt of court and the aggrieved person may approach this court for appropriate action against such contemptuous conduct of the police authorities as well as the judicial officers”, Justice Praveen Kumar Giri said in an order on Wednesday, January 14.
The court’s order came while disposing of a petition filed by one Umme Farva of Aligarh.
“The Director General of Police shall instruct all police officers that if a final report exonerating the accused is submitted in court, then in every case where the police machinery has been misused by furnishing false, frivolous, or misleading information, a written complaint must be filed before the competent magistrate/court of offence mentioned under Section 212 and 217 of the BNSS against the informant and witnesses of the case crime,” the court said.
Specific directions have been issued to the Director General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police, Superintendent of Police, as well as all the investigating officers, Station House Officers and forwarding officers.
