Zero FIR

A Zero FIR is an FIR that can be filed at any police station, regardless of where the crime occurred or the jurisdiction of the police station. It’s the first step to initiate the criminal justice process, allowing the police to begin a detailed investigation. While usually, an FIR must be filed at the police station with jurisdiction over the crime scene, a Zero FIR can be registered at any police station for urgent and serious cognizable offenses (like rape, murder, etc.) to avoid any delay.

The main purpose of a Zero FIR is to help victims of serious crimes, such as women, to file a complaint quickly at the nearest police station without needing to find the right jurisdiction. It’s also useful if you suspect a serious crime has been committed and urgently need the police to start investigating.

You can file a Zero FIR at any police station, including the one nearest to you. It doesn’t have to be the police station within the jurisdiction where the crime took place.

The procedure to file a Zero FIR is the same as filing a regular FIR. The difference is that instead of assigning an FIR number specific to the police station, the FIR is numbered as ‘0’. This Zero FIR is then transferred to the appropriate police station with jurisdiction, where it will be given a regular FIR number.

After you lodge a Zero FIR, it will be transferred to the police station that has jurisdiction over the area where the crime occurred. The investigation will then proceed from there.

If the police refuse to register a Zero FIR, you can take the same steps as when they refuse to register a regular FIR. This includes escalating the issue to higher authorities or seeking legal advice.