When a cognizable offence takes place, upon a complaint being filed, a First Information Report (FIR) is registered by the police station having territorial jurisdiction to investigate into that offence. It is the regular FIR with a regular FIR Number.
However, if the complaint of such cognizable offence is given to some other police station (which may be nearby to the person giving such report) which does not have territorial jurisdiction to investigate into such offence (since it has not occurred in its area) then it may register the FIR with a Zero FIR Number and then send / forward this Zero FIR to the concerned police station having proper jurisdiction. Such police station will then re-register such FIR with a regular FIR Number.
Thus, an FIR registered by a police station having no territorial jurisdiction to investigate into the offence is generally registered under Zero Number, and is generally referred to as Zero FIR under common parlance.
Dr. Ashok Dhamija is a New Delhi based Supreme Court Advocate and author of law books. Read more about him by clicking here. List of his Forum Replies. List of his other articles. List of his Quora Answers. List of his YouTube Videos.
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