Police stations to register FIRs even if offence committed outside territorial jurisdiction: Andhra DGP

A First Information Report (FIR) should be registered even if the alleged offence has been committed outside the territorial jurisdiction of the police station, said Director General of Police (DGP) Andhra Pradesh.

The report shall be transferred to the appropriate police station after the FIR is recorded, a circular issued by the state DGP on Monday added.

According to the circular, it is observed that when the public approaches a police station to register their case, they are often directed to go to other police stations on point of territorial jurisdiction which is not correct.

"Even if the alleged offence has been committed outside the territorial jurisdiction of the police station, FIR shall still be registered and the same shall be transferred to the appropriate police station," the DGP stated in the circular.

"The police officers should be clearly informed that failure to comply with the direction of registration of FIR and a receipt of information about cognizable offence may invite prosecution of the police officer under section 166-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and it may also invite departmental action against them," the circular further read.

All the unit officers are directed to communicate this order to all their subordinate police officers and police stations to scrupulously abide by the directions of the Apex Court ruling in Lalita Kumari V. state of Uttar Pradesh (2014).

Disciplinary action will be initiated against erring officers for noncompliance, as per the circular.