The Home Ministry’s recent instructions to all the states and union territories will put pressure on the police department as refusing to file an FIR on jurisdictional ground could now cost a police officer a year in prison. The cop will be prosecuted under Indian Penal Code if fails to register the complaint from the victim or the family members.

As per the strict instructions, police will have to register a ‘Zero FIR’ without worrying if the crime was committed in their jurisdiction or not. Later, the FIR will be transferred to the concerned police station.

Citing Supreme Court judgements, the home ministry said that police should not refuse to register the FIRs on jurisdictional ground. The step was taken after analysing the increasing instances of such acts by police in various states. Now, police have to respond to the complaints from men or women. They need to act fast and apprehend the accused immediately after the FIR is filed as the accused is likely to abscond.

Failure to register FIR on receipt of information about any crime will invite prosecution of the duty police officer under IPC Section 166A. The police officer will be sentenced to one year if found guilty in the court.

The strict directives came after police department faced severe criticism from the public and the political parties for the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in Delhi in December last year. There were allegations that police delayed in registering FIR over jurisdictional issue.