What should I do if police refuse to register my complaint?

If a police station refuses to register your complaint (First Information Report), you are not without recourse. Indian law provides several clear escalation options to ensure your complaint is formally recorded. Acting promptly and through the right channels usually resolves the situation.

Key points

• The police are legally obligated to register an FIR when a cognisable offence is reported; refusal is itself an irregularity.
• Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, you can send your complaint in writing by post to the Superintendent of Police, who must then investigate or direct registration.
• A Magistrate can also be approached directly to order FIR registration.
• Online complaint portals exist at both the state and national level as alternative channels.
• Keep a written record of your visit — note the date, time, officer's name, and reason given for refusal.

Relevant law

Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (which replaced Section 154 of the old CrPC) governs the registration of FIRs for cognisable offences and expressly provides the right to send a complaint by post to the Superintendent of Police. Section 175 BNSS allows a Magistrate to direct investigation. The Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Lalita Kumari v. State of U.P. also affirms that FIR registration is mandatory for cognisable offences.

What you can do

• Send a written complaint by registered post to the Superintendent of Police, Nagpur, citing Section 173 BNSS; if satisfied, the SP must investigate or direct registration.
• File a complaint before the Judicial Magistrate in Nagpur under Section 175 BNSS, requesting a direction to the police to register your FIR.
• Lodge your complaint online through the Maharashtra Police citizen portal (mahapolice.gov.in) or the national portal at pgportal.gov.in.
• File a grievance with the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission if you believe your rights are being violated by the refusal.