I. Registration of FIRs One of the most serious, frequent and common grievances against the police in India is the non-registration of the First Information Report. The infamous Nithari incident, in 2007, once again brought forward the fundamental issue of the police’s tendency not to register an offence. Nithari was definitely not the sole incident; across the country it has been a common experience that police is reluctant to register complaints. It is with the registration of the FIRs that the entire process of the criminal justice system comes into motion. However, the police is neither inclined nor willing to do its job in most of the cases. A. Reasons for Non-Registration There are certain reasons why the police react in a certain manner and why they are not agreeable to register complaints. The most significant reason is the political angle of the issue. The anxiety of the political executives in the State Government to keep the recorded crime figures low so as to claim before the State Legislature, the public and the press that crime is well controlled and is even going down as a result of ‘efficient’ police administration under their charge, percolates down. The police is naturally then, obsessed by the fact that increase in crime figures would be held against them and that they could be penalized for that. This attitude permeates the entire hierarchy down the line and is reflected at the police stations in their reluctance and refusal to register cases as and when crimes are brought to their notice. Power and money corrupt the entire process and that is the second most important reason for the prevailing attitude of the policemen. There is significant political interference and many a times when influential people are involved in a particular case, the police personnel tend to take a way out by not registering the case. They may go to the other extreme however, when they make victims the accused and their aggressors are treated as aggrieved wherever politicians and power brokers back the law breakers. In many police stations registration of FIR is considered to be a favour rather than a legal obligation. Consequently, there have been reported cases of police charging payment for registering FIRs. Follow-up actions also, many a times, entails an expenditure which a victim cannot afford; especially in rural areas where the awareness is still less. 18 Manual on Human Rights for Police Officers