Places a duty on police to register a First Information Report (FIR) for any information disclosing a cognizable offence. The officer must prepare the FIR and forward a copy to the nearest magistrate within 24 hours.
A notable BNSS addition: for offences punishable with 3–7 years' imprisonment, police may — with a senior officer's permission — conduct a preliminary enquiry of up to 14 days to assess whether there's a prima facie case, before formally registering the FIR. This is a genuinely debated change, since in some readings it could delay formal registration compared to the old rule.
- Registering an FIR for a cognizable offence is mandatory once information is received — not discretionary.
- "Zero FIR" continues to apply: you can file at any police station regardless of where the offence happened, for later transfer to the right jurisdiction.
If police refuse to register your FIR for a cognizable offence, that refusal is itself something you can escalate.
Related law
Your escalation route to a magistrate if a station won't act
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What if my local police station refuses to file my FIR?
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Police Power to Investigate — and Your Route to a Magistrate
If a station won't register your complaint, this section is your basis for taking it to a magistrate instead.
Mandatory Forensic Investigation for Serious Offences
If this isn't followed in a serious case you're involved in, it's a real procedural gap worth flagging to a lawyer.
This is a plain-English summary, not verbatim statutory text. Adhikar is an independent citizen-awareness platform, not a Government of India website. Always verify against the bare Act (legislative.gov.in) or a qualified advocate before relying on this for an actual legal situation.