Information in cognizable cases :
Every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, if given orally to an officer in charge of a police station, shall be reduced to writing by him or under his direction and be read over to the informant. Every such information shall be signed by the person giving it and the substance thereof shall be entered in a book kept by such officer in such form as may be prescribed by the State Government in this behalf. (Section 154)
The above information given to a police officer and reduced to writing is known as First Information Report (FIR). Although such words are not mentioned in the Criminal Procedure Code. The investigation of the case proceeds on this information only. Thus, the principal object of this Section is to set the criminal law in motion and to obtain information about the alleged criminal activities so as to punish the guilty.
For the purpose of enabling the police to start investigation, it is open to the Magistrate to direct the police to register an FIR. There is nothing illegal in doing so. After all registration of an FIR involves only the process of entering the substance of the information relating to the commission of the cognizable offence in a book kept by the officer-in-charge of the police station as indicated in Section 154 of the Code. (Mohd. Yousuf v. Afaq Jahan, AIR 2006 SC 708.)
Any person aggrieved by a refusal on the part of an officer incharge of a police station to record the information may send the substance of such information in writing and by post to the Superintendent of Police concerned who if satisfied that such information discloses the commission of a cognizable offence shall either investigate the case himself or direct an investigation to be made by any police officer subordinate to him.
A copy of the information as recorded under sub-section (1) shall be given to the informant free of cost.