Police Complaint Format in India: What an FIR Needs to Say

You walk into a police station to report a stolen phone and the officer at the counter asks you to write it on a plain sheet of paper. You write three lines: "My phone was stolen. Please help." Two weeks later there is no progress, and when you ask for a copy of the complaint you are told it was never registered as an FIR. The complaint existed; it just did not contain what the law requires.

The police complaint format india follows is not a form you fill in. It is a written statement that gives the police enough facts to register an offence and enough detail to investigate it. A complaint that names the date, the place, the accused, the property and the witnesses gets registered. A complaint that says "my phone was stolen" is treated as information and filed away.

The legal starting point

Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which replaced Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, deals with information in cognizable cases. Every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, if given orally to an officer in charge of a police station, must be reduced to writing by that officer or under his direction, read over to the informant, and signed by the informant. The substance must then be entered in a book kept for the purpose, and the informant is entitled to a free copy of the entry.

Where the information is given by a woman against whom an offence is alleged to have been committed, or where the informant is differently abled, the officer must record it at the place of residence of the informant or at a place of the informant's choice, and in the case of a woman, the recording may be by a woman officer or a woman magistrate. Section 173 also provides for preliminary enquiry in certain categories within a limited period, and for the Superintendent of Police to investigate certain classes of cases.

The practical consequence is simple. A written complaint that contains the statutory essentials is hard to refuse. A vague oral statement is easy to convert into a general diary entry and forget.

What the written complaint must contain

Writing the facts so they cannot be diluted

The facts should be chronological and should separate what you saw from what you were told. "At about 7.40 pm on 12 March 2026 I was walking towards the bus stop on Nehru Road when two men on a motorcycle came from behind. The pillion rider grabbed my bag and the motorcycle sped towards the flyover. I saw the pillion rider's face for about two seconds and noted that he was wearing a red helmet with a broken visor. A shopkeeper at the corner, whose name I do not know, shouted at them." That paragraph gives the police a time, a place, a method, a description and a witness.

Do not write conclusions. "He cheated me" is a legal conclusion; "he took Rs 2,00,000 from me on 4 January 2026 promising delivery of 500 bags of cement by 20 January 2026, gave me this receipt, and has neither delivered nor returned the money despite my messages of 25 January and 3 February" is a set of facts from which the police can see cheating. The offence section follows from the facts, not the other way round.

Where the incident involves a continuing course of conduct, such as harassment over weeks, give the first date, the last date, and the pattern. Where it involves a document, quote the exact words that matter. Where it involves money, give the amount, the mode of payment, the bank or UPI reference and the account. Where it involves injury, attach the medical certificate and name the hospital.

The zero FIR and jurisdiction

If the incident happened outside the jurisdiction of the police station you approach, the station can still register a Zero FIR and transfer it to the station that has jurisdiction. This is provided for in the BNSS and is standard practice. A refusal on the ground that "this is not our area" is not a reason to send you away without recording the complaint; ask for a Zero FIR and note the refusal if it is not given.

For cyber offences, the complaint can be filed at any police station, and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal allows online reporting for many categories. For offences against women and children, the complaint can be recorded at the woman's residence or at a place of her choice. For offences committed on public transport, the station nearest to the place of occurrence or the destination can register the case.

What happens at the police station

You give the complaint, the officer records it, reads it back to you, and you sign it. The substance is entered in the FIR register and you receive a copy free of charge. The FIR is then sent to the Magistrate. In cognizable cases the police may begin investigation immediately; in non-cognizable cases they need the Magistrate's order to investigate, and you will be given an entry in the non-cognizable register instead of an FIR.

Insist on the copy. If the officer says the copy will be given later, ask for the FIR number and the date of registration before you leave. That number is what you will quote to the bank, the insurer, the passport office and the court. Without it, the complaint is difficult to trace.

When the police refuse to register

Refusal to register an FIR for a cognizable offence is itself a grievance with a remedy. The first step is to send the written complaint to the Superintendent of Police or the Commissioner under Section 173(4) of the BNSS, by registered post, with a covering letter asking for registration. Keep the postal proof. The second step is a complaint to the Magistrate under Section 175(3) of the BNSS, which allows the Magistrate to direct an investigation or to take cognizance of the offence.

The third route is a writ petition before the High Court seeking registration of the FIR, which courts entertain where the refusal is manifestly illegal. The fourth is the State Human Rights Commission or the police complaints authority in states that have one. These routes take time; the written record you build at each stage is what makes them work.

Mistakes that weaken a complaint

• Vague dates. "Last week" invites the defence to challenge the timeline. Give the date and the approximate time.
• No list of documents. If you mention a receipt or a message, attach a copy and list it. The police will not go looking for your evidence.
• Mixing civil and criminal claims. A complaint that asks for money back and prosecution confuses the officer. State the facts and the offence; keep recovery for the civil suit.
• Exaggerating. An inflated value or a false allegation can turn the complainant into an accused in a counter-case. State what you can prove.
• Not naming witnesses. Even a partial name or a shop description helps. Unnamed witnesses are found only if the police look.
• Signing a statement you have not read. The officer must read it over to you. Read it yourself before signing, and ask for corrections if the wording changes your meaning.
• Leaving without a copy. The free copy is your proof that the FIR exists.

Complaints that are not FIRs

Not every grievance is a cognizable offence. A dispute over a property boundary, an unpaid salary, a broken contract or a family quarrel may be civil or may require a complaint to another authority. The police can register a non-cognizable complaint and give you an entry, but they cannot investigate without the Magistrate's order. If your matter is civil, a police complaint may be treated as an attempt to pressure the other side, and the other side may file a counter-complaint alleging extortion or false accusation. Take advice on the correct forum before filing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I file a police complaint by email or online?

Many states accept online complaints through their police portal, and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal accepts cyber complaints. An online complaint creates a reference number and is treated as information. For serious offences, follow up at the station and obtain the FIR copy, because online complaints are sometimes routed to the wrong unit.

Is there a fee to register an FIR?

No. Registration of an FIR and the copy given to the informant are free. Any demand for money at the counter is improper and should be reported to the Superintendent of Police or the anti-corruption branch.

Can someone else file the complaint on my behalf?

Yes. A relative, a friend or an authorised representative can file the complaint where the informant is unable to attend, and the police can record it from that person. For offences against women, the BNSS allows recording at the woman's residence. Where the complainant is deceased or incapacitated, the legal heir or a witness can give the information.

What if the police register a different section than the one I mentioned?

The police classify the offence and the Magistrate supervises the investigation. You can point out the correct provision in writing and ask for it to be considered. If the section is materially wrong and the investigation is affected, the Magistrate can be approached. Do not refuse to sign the FIR because the section differs; sign it and put your objection in a separate written representation.

How long does the police have to investigate?

The BNSS prescribes timelines for certain steps: the preliminary enquiry within a fixed period, the completion of investigation and the filing of the report. In practice, investigation time varies with the offence. If there is no progress, send written reminders to the station house officer and then to the Superintendent of Police, and keep the acknowledgements.

Can I withdraw a police complaint later?

You can inform the police that you do not wish to pursue the matter, but the police and the court decide whether to continue. For compoundable offences, a compromise can be recorded and the case closed. For serious offences, withdrawal by the complainant does not automatically end the prosecution. Take advice before agreeing to a compromise in a serious case.

Drafting Support

Our drafting team prepares written police complaints with a chronological statement, a document list and a clear prayer for registration, and we draft the follow-up representation to the Superintendent of Police and the complaint to the Magistrate where registration is refused. Send us the facts and the documents, and we will put them in the form the police station expects.