Institutional Lethargy In Police Stations: Orissa HC Issues Directions For Police Stations, Directs Action Against Officers Not Registering FIR

 The Orissa High Court has observed that institutional lethargy has crept into so many Police Stations in the State.

The bench of Justice S.K. Panigrahi observed that many Police Officers are refusing to register the FIR whimsically or due to some externous circumstances.

"It is often observed that some amount of institutional lethargy has crept in to so many Police Stations of the State. Many Police Officers are refusing to register the F.I.R. whimsically or due to some externous circumstances.", the Court noted.

In view of this, the Court has directed the Director General of Police to issue certain instructions to all the police stations of the State.

The Court has directed that whenever a person comes to the Police Station with a complaint, the Officer posted at the Police Station shall compulsorily receive the complaint and endorse the complaint by way of a receipt or by way of stamp acknowledging the said receipt at that Police Station with time and date.

The Court has also directed that the concerned official must be courteous to the complainant who approaches to the Police station and furnish a pen and a paper to the complainant, on request.

"If the person is illiterate, the complaint must be dictated by the complainant to the officer-in-charge who shall reduce the same in writing and dictate it to the complainant before it is signed and stamped by the officer.", the Court also added.

The Court has directed that a copy of the instructions be circulated to all the Police Stations of the State.

The Court has also directed strong action against the erring police officer for whimsically not registering FIR.

"It is essential that the police officer need to be sensitized for registering the FIR throughout the State when a complainant approaches the Police Station. It is further directed that strong action should be prescribed against the erring police officer including the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against them for whimsically not registering F.I.R.", the Court directed.

In this case, Arjun Charan Behera, Advocate for the petitioner, submitted that the petitioner had approached with a complaint copy before the Inspector-in-charge for registration of FIR against the accused persons. However, the Inspector-in-charge of said Police Station had allegedly whimsically refused to register the FIR.

Cause Title- Jhulana Behera @ Jhansi Behera v. State of Odisha and Ors.

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