Zero FIR
Definition
FIR registered at any police station regardless of territorial jurisdiction, then transferred to the station with jurisdiction. BNSS 173(1) proviso codifies the practice.
- Legal basis
- Section 173 BNSS 2023 (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita)
- Core purpose
- Allows immediate FIR registration without needing correct territorial jurisdiction
Common questions
What happens when an FIR is filed at the wrong police station?+
The FIR is registered there anyway, then transferred to the police station that has the actual territorial jurisdiction over where the crime occurred. This is called a Zero FIR and is recognized under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023.
Why would someone file an FIR at a police station without jurisdiction?+
It ensures the complaint gets recorded immediately without delay. The person filing does not need to know which station has jurisdiction or travel to the correct one first. The registration is valid and the case moves to the right station automatically.
Is a Zero FIR legally valid?+
Yes. The law explicitly allows registration at any police station regardless of territorial jurisdiction. The FIR itself remains valid, the procedural transfer happens behind the scenes.
Related terms
- BNSS 2023
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, the statute that replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure. It introduced a mandatory forensic-scene-visit requirement for offences...
- Charge Sheet (Section 193)
- The police report at the close of investigation, filed within 60 or 90 days of arrest depending on the punishment band. Forensic...
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- E-FIR
- An FIR registered electronically by a complainant; now expressly recognised under Section 173 BNSS, with a 3-day window to record the complainant's...
- FAR
- First Accident Report filed by the investigating officer at a road traffic accident scene; FAR plus MFR (Final Form) feed the chargesheet.
- Hit-and-Run
- Causing death by rash and negligent driving and leaving without reporting. BNS 106(2) prescribes up to 10 years imprisonment plus fine where...
- Homicide
- Killing of a human being by another, classified under BNS 100 to 106 as culpable homicide and murder, with exceptions like grave...
- Inquest
- Legal enquiry into the cause and circumstances of a sudden, suspicious or unnatural death. In India conducted by the police under BNSS...
- POCSO 2012
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- Poisoning
- Introduction of a noxious substance into the body causing injury or death. Investigated under BNS hurt and homicide provisions with viscera collection...
- Section 105 BNSS
- Provision making audio-video recording of search and seizure operations mandatory, with the recording forming part of the case file.
Explained in these topics
- BNSS 2023: Investigation, FIR, Search and SeizureAn FIR registered at a police station that does not have territorial jurisdiction, later transferred to the station that does. Codified under Section 173 BNSS.
- Criminal Investigations: Deaths, Assaults, Poisoning, AccidentsFIR registered at any police station regardless of territorial jurisdiction, then transferred to the station with jurisdiction. BNSS 173(1) proviso codifies th...