> Editorial status: AI-assisted source draft. This guide must be reviewed by a qualified Indian criminal-law professional before publication. It is general legal information, not advice for a specific case.

Scope and current law

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) is the central criminal-procedure law in force from 1 July 2024, subject to its commencement notification, territorial provisions, transitional questions, state rules and special statutes. An editor must check whether an older incident, an ongoing proceeding or a special law changes the analysis.

FIR and Zero FIR

An FIR records information about a cognizable offence, meaning an offence for which police may investigate according to law without first obtaining a Magistrate's order. A complaint about a non-cognizable matter follows a different route.

BNSS section 173(1) says information about a cognizable offence may be given to the officer in charge of a police station irrespective of the area where the offence occurred. This is the statutory foundation commonly described as a Zero FIR: territorial jurisdiction should not delay recording the information and routing it to the appropriate police station.

Information may be given orally or by electronic communication. Oral information is to be reduced to writing, read back and signed. Electronic information is taken on record when it is signed within three days. Section 173(2) requires a copy of the recorded information to be given promptly and free of cost to the informant or victim.

What to prepare before reporting

Prepare a factual, chronological account:

•the date, approximate time and place of each event;
•names or descriptions of the people involved, if known;
•what was seen, heard, received or lost;
•documents, messages, photographs, video, transaction records or witness details that may be relevant;
•immediate safety or medical facts that authorities should know; and
•the contact details at which the informant can reliably be reached.

Keep original digital material where possible. Preserve files and messages without editing them, record how they were obtained, and keep a separate copy. Do not add guesses as facts. If something is uncertain, say so.

If the police station refuses to record the information

BNSS section 173(4) provides an escalation route. A person aggrieved by a refusal may send the substance of the information in writing and by post to the Superintendent of Police concerned. If the information discloses a cognizable offence, the Superintendent may investigate or direct a subordinate officer to investigate. If that route fails, the person may apply to the Magistrate. The precise filing, affidavit and local procedural requirements should be checked before giving case-specific instructions.

Important limits

•Whether alleged facts disclose a cognizable offence is a legal classification question.
•A preliminary inquiry may be permitted for certain offences punishable from three years to less than seven years, subject to section 173(3).
•Special recording protections apply to specified offences against women and to certain informants with disabilities.
•State police portals, electronic-signature methods and local rules are not uniform.
•A Zero FIR does not determine guilt, guarantee arrest or replace the investigation.

Review checklist before publication

The legal reviewer should verify the current text of sections 173 to 175, the commencement and transition position, relevant state rules, the distinction between a complaint and an FIR, and any special statute that applies. The published version must link to the official text and explain how readers can find their State or Union Territory police route without pretending that one process applies everywhere.