"Karnataka High Court Mandates FIR Registration for Complaints Disclosing Cognizable Offences
In a recent landmark ruling by Justice Suraj Govindaraj, a single-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court, police officers are now obligated to promptly register First Information Reports (FIRs) when complaints reveal cognizable offences. The court emphasized that failure to do so constitutes a clear dereliction of duty.
The ruling came in response to the case of Vittal v PSI of Bableshwar PS, where the petitioner lodged a complaint on November 18, 2022, detailing instances of assault, verbal abuse, death threats, and the forcible confiscation of his daughter-in-law's cellphone. These actions, the court noted, fall under punishable offences according to the Indian Penal Code.
Justice Govindaraj, taking the petitioner's grievance into account, directed the police to register an FIR against the accused individuals and initiate a thorough investigation into the matter. The court also stressed the significance of adhering to the guidelines set forth by the Supreme Court in Lalita Kumari's case.
In addition to instructing the Director General of Police to issue comprehensive circulars and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to all Station House Officers, the court mandated the dissemination of translated versions of the directives in both English and Kannada. Furthermore, the court ordered the provision of complete Kannada-translated copies of the judgment to all Station House Officers.
Advocates Ravichandra Jadhav and Prakash Jadhav represented the petitioner, while Advocate Maya TR represented the respondent."
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TAGS: Karnataka High Court FIR registration complaints cognizable offences Justice Suraj Govindaraj landmark ruling police officers dereliction of duty Vittal v PSI of Bableshwar PS assault verbal abuse death threats forcible confiscation Indian Penal Code petitioner investigation Lalita Kumari's case Director General of Police circulars Standard Operating Procedures SOPs English Kannada translated versions judgment Advocates Ravichandra Jadhav Prakash Jadhav Advocate Maya TR respondent.
