Madras HC deprecates trend of mechanically filing FIR repeatedly to boost Police Statistics

The Madras High Court on Tuesday took critical note of the tendency to file FIRs mechanically only for statistical purposes, even for similar offences against the same persons.

While allowing a bail application before the Court, Justice N Anand Venkatesh observed,

“This State is facing a very unfortunate scenario where the police apparently, for statistical purposes, are repeatedly registering FIRs of the same nature against certain persons and ensures that those persons never will get into the mainstream of the Society. This senseless action on the part of the police goes against the very concept of reformation in Criminal Law.”

In the case before the court, the petitioner had been arrested and remanded to judicial custody on charges of robbery and allied offences. However, the Court was told by the petitioner’s counsel that the charges were leveled against him only to boost police statistics on FIR registrations. To this end, the Court was informed that the same police authorities had registered a similar FIR against the same petitioner earlier, in relation to which bail was allowed by the Court last December. The present complaint was lodged shortly after his release.

Observing that this is not an isolated incident, Justice Venkatesh opined,

“By registering such mechanical FIRs, the police is only trying to maintain its statistics for the purpose of showing to the outside world, the effectiveness of Criminal Justice System that is prevailing in the State. Every time it comes before this Court, this Court keeps passing mechanical orders of granting bail to the accused persons. It is only a matter of time that a case of similar nature is awaiting the petitioner and one more case will be clamped against this petitioner after a period of 20 days.”

He went on to emphasise that such a practice signifies abuse of the criminal justice system itself, stating,

“This is an absolute abuse on the entire Criminal Justice System. It is with pain that this Court is recording its anguish in this order. This Court only hopes that this attitude changes and the police start registering genuine cases and show a change in their attitude. Unless this is done, the entire Criminal Justice System in this State will collapse.”

The main matter was disposed of with a direction that bail be granted subject to the execution of sureties and other conditions mandating the cooperation of the petitioner during the investigation.