of the information at this stage. An FIR should be registered immediately and even before proceeding with a preliminary investigation. The Court also commented on Section 157 CrPC which says that two conditions must be satisfied before a police officer starts an investigation: i) S/he should have a reason to suspect the commission of a cognizable offence. The reason to suspect must arise from the allegations made in the first information given to a police officer and at this stage the question of adequate proof of facts alleged in the FIR does not arise. First Information Report is the earliest and first information that is received about the commission of a cognizable offence. It sets the ball of the criminal justice process rolling. Cognizable offences are mentioned in the First Schedule of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 [CrPC]. Section 2 (c) CrPC defines cognizable offence as an offence, in which a police officer can arrest a person without a warrant. In practice, cognizable offences are offences in which a police officer can register a case and start an investigation without a magistrates order and carry out an arrest without a magistrates warrant. ii) S/he should satisfy her/himself about the credibility of the information. A police officer has to draw his [her] satisfaction [about the credibility of information] only on materials which were placed before him[her] at that stage and only the first information together with the documents, if any, enclosed. C. Directions by the Supreme Court 1. An FIR must be registered as soon as information about a cognizable offence is received. 2. Before starting an investigation, police officers should make a rational inference that a cognizable offence has been committed. The inference should be made solely on the basis of facts mentioned in the FIR. Courts will not as a rule interfere in the investigation process except in the following circumstances when the High Court can cancel the FIR and other proceedings carried out by the police: 3. i. 64 Where the allegations in the FIR do not constitute any cognizable offence or justify an investigation by the police. Manual on Human Rights for Police Officers