New Delhi
The Delhi High Court has rapped the Delhi police for using Urdu and Persian words while registering FIRs, saying it was being done without an understanding of the meaning of such words and “without proper application of mind”.
A bench of chief justice DN Patel and justice C Hari Shankar said FIRs should be in the words of the person lodging the FIR.
“There is no need for the police to show their knowledge of Urdu and Persian words and these words should not be used by them mechanically without knowing the exact meaning….,” the bench said.
The high court made the remark while hearing a petition by Vishalakshi Goel who had challenged the use of such words in the FIR. In August, the high court had sought an explanation from the police about the use of such “bombastic” words.
On Monday, the city police informed the court the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Legal cell), has already issued a circular on November 20 regarding the use of simple words instead of Urdu and Persian words while recording the FIR. It also gave a list of 383 such words which were being used by the police.
The bench said the public at large would not understand the meaning of these words and the list is required to be supplied to a person, seeking a copy of the FIR so that he/she can himself/herself see the translated version of Urdu and Persian words used in the FIR and understand its contents.
{{/usCountry}}The bench said the public at large would not understand the meaning of these words and the list is required to be supplied to a person, seeking a copy of the FIR so that he/she can himself/herself see the translated version of Urdu and Persian words used in the FIR and understand its contents.
{{/usCountry}}“The list may not be exhaustive as there can be other similar Urdu and Persian words being used in the FIR which are not mentioned in this list. The practice of using these words in the FIR ought to be stopped by the police,” the court said in its order.
The court asked the police to produce before it copies of at least ten FIRs registered at ten different police stations to verify whether the circular issued by the DCP (Legal Cell) is being followed by the sub-ordinate police officers/officials in letter and spirit.