All FIRs have to go online by June 10, says state info chief

DNA: Mumbai: Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

State information commission (SIC) chief Ratnakar Gaikwad on Monday passed an order that all FIRs must be uploaded on the police force's website, as part of a suo moto disclosure, by June 10.

You can soon get a copy of a first information report (FIR) after filing a complaint at the click of a button.

State information commission (SIC) chief Ratnakar Gaikwad on Monday passed an order that all FIRs must be uploaded on the police force’s website, as part of a suo moto disclosure, by June 10. Alternatively, the same can be put up on notice boards at police stations.

While there have been several allegations of the police’s high-handedness when it comes to a complainant or an accused asking for an FIR’s copy, Gaikwad’s order came after a right to information applicant, Shrikant Joglekar, demanded that he be given a copy of an FIR of a complaint pertaining to some property registration filed against him in October last year.

Joglekar alleged that officials of the Andheri police station had refused to hand over a copy to him, claiming that doing so would hamper their investigation process. “A false FIR was filed against me. But to get it quashed, I needed to get a copy of it to argue my case in court,” said the 63-year-old consulting engineer. He claimed that several “fraudulent” FIRs have not been quashed just because their copies were not handed over to the accused.

When the RTI application was taken up at the SIC, the police said Joglekar was told during his questioning that he wouldn’t be given a copy of the FIR against him on the grounds that it would affect the probe. To strengthen his case, the applicant cited a Delhi high court order, passed in 2010, which directed the police to upload copies of all FIRs on their website unless senior officers give enough reason against doing so.

Gaikwad directed the office of the director general of police and all senior officials to ensure that the order is communicated to all state police stations and implemented by June 10. The Odisha police have a similar system in place.

Sanjeev Dayal, Maharashtra director general of police, refused to comment, saying he was yet to see the order.