Abstract
Zero FIR represents a paradigm shift in India’s criminal justice framework, addressing a long-standing structural impediment to victim access and investigative efficiency. By allowing any police station to register an First Information Report (FIR) irrespective of territorial jurisdiction, this mechanism eliminates bureaucratic delays and removes gatekeeping obstacles that historically prevented victims—particularly women and vulnerable groups—from initiating complaints. Introduced through the Justice Verma Committee’s recommendations following the 2012 Nirbhaya case and now statutorily mandated under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, Zero FIR has evolved from a judicial innovation into a formal legal framework. Yet its implementation remains fragmented by awareness gaps, training deficiencies, and coordination challenges that compromise its victim-centric promise. This report examines Zero FIR’s legal architecture, institutional impact, and practical limitations while assessing its efficacy as a tool for accelerating access to justice.
Keywords: First Information Report(FIR), Justice, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita(BNSS), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita(BNS), Territorial Jurisdiction, Station House Officer(SHO)
INTRODUCTION
Zero FIR (First Information Report) is a mechanism in India that allows the lodging of an FIR at any police station irrespective of the jurisdiction where the crime actually occurred. This tool is particularly aimed at enabling speedy justice by overcoming the territorial limitations that traditionally delay police intervention and investigation processes.
The concept of Zero FIR emerged from a structural vulnerability in India’s criminal procedure. Under the traditional framework, victims were required to file complaints at the police station possessing territorial jurisdiction over the offense location; a requirement that created perverse incentives for jurisdictional refusals and systematic delays, particularly in mobile or inter-state crimes. The 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case exposed this weakness when police refused to register an FIR due to jurisdictional ambiguities, a delay that nearly obliterated investigative opportunities. The Justice Verma Committee, convened in response to public outrage, identified this procedural obstruction as fundamentally inconsistent with constitutional rights to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.[1]
The Committee’s 2013 recommendation was incorporated into the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, which modified Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code to permit FIR registration at any police station. However, this reform rested on judicial precedent rather than explicit statutory language. The Supreme Court of India formalized this principle in Lalita Kumari v. Govt. of U.P. (2014), ruling that registration of an FIR is mandatory whenever information discloses a cognizable offense, regardless of territorial jurisdiction. The Court held that preliminary inquiries cannot precede FIR registration for serious crimes; a watershed judgment that transformed Zero FIR from a procedural practice into a constitutional imperative.[2]
With the enactment of the BNSS 2023, effective July 1, 2024, Zero FIR achieved full statutory recognition. Section 173(1) of the BNSS now explicitly provides that “every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, irrespective of the area where the offence is committed, may be given orally or by electronic communication” to any police station. This codification represents institutional acknowledgment that jurisdictional technicalities cannot trump victim access to the justice system.[3]
Zero FIR is a victim‑centric reform allowing prompt reporting at any station, which must then transfer the case to the competent jurisdiction.[4][5][6] It responds to chronic problems of refusal, delay, and jurisdictional objections at the FIR stage, long recognised as barriers to justice in India and Pakistan.[7][8]
Thus, Zero FIR lets victims register an FIR at any police station irrespective of jurisdiction, aiming to remove early procedural hurdles and speed up the path to justice. Recent reforms under the BNSS, 2023 embed Zero FIR and e‑FIR in a broader push for time‑bound, tech-enabled criminal justice.
[1]https://blog.finology.in/Legal-news/Provision-of-Zero-FIR-E-FIR-under-BNSS.
[2]https://www.drishtijudiciary.com/to-the-point/bharatiya-nagarik-suraksha-sanhita-&-code-of-criminal-
procedure/zero-fir-under-bharatiya-nagarik-suraksha-sanhita-2023-bnss.
[3]https://www.ijfmr.com/papers/2025/5/56740.pdf.
[4]T., T, V., Balamurugan, H., & R, S. (2025). A Comprehensive Analysis Of Zero Fir And Human Rights Obstacles And Possibilities In Obtaining Justice. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research.https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.56740
[5]Pandey, P. (2020). Zero First Information Report: Indian Laws and Practices. Law Enforcement eJournal.https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3567857
[6]Kowshikaa, A. (2024). India’s Criminal Justice Reform: An In-Depth Look at The New Laws. Journal of Law and Legal Research Development.https://doi.org/10.69662/jllrd.v2i1.35
[7]Singh, S., & Kaur, R. (2025). Role of First Information Report (FIR) in The Justice Delivery System. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research.https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.60300
[8]Dalmia, A. (2023). THE IMPACT OF PENDING COURT CASES ON THE EFFICACY OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN INDIA: “JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED”. International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research.https://doi.org/10.46609/ijsser.2023.v08i10.005