e-FIR
Topic: Justice Delivery: Subordinate Courts, Tribunals, Legal Aid and Judicial Reforms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
An e-FIR is a complaint about a cognizable offence sent to the police electronically, for example online, instead of in person. A cognizable offence is a serious crime where the police can act without a magistrate's order. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023 allows it. The police take the e-FIR on record once the informant signs it within three days. It makes reporting crime easier, especially for people who cannot reach a police station or are afraid to go.
Example
Suppose a woman's phone is snatched late at night. She can file an e-FIR from home and then sign it within three days. After that, it is formally recorded and the investigation can begin.
Don't confuse with
- Zero FIR: this is an FIR that any police station must register, even if the crime happened elsewhere, and then transfer to the right station. An e-FIR is about how the complaint is sent (electronically), not where it is filed.
Related concepts
- Criminal justice system
- Police
- Commissionerate system of policing
- Cognizable offence
- Non-cognizable offence
- First Information Report
- Zero FIR
- Charge sheet
- Arnesh Kumar guidelines
- Police custody