'Zero FIR' In Manipur Sexual Assault: What Does It Mean? How Does It Work?

What is the purpose of a Zero FIR? The Quint breaks it down for you.

Of the nearly 6,000 cases of arson, violence, dacoity, and other offences registered in Manipur from 3 May until 29 June, nearly a third of them have been zero FIRs.

One such zero FIR was registered, nearly 15 days after three Kuki women were paraded naked – and one of them allegedly gang-raped, on 4 May, in Manipur's Thoubal district.

On 18 May, a zero FIR was was registered in Kangpokpi Police Station, which is more than 65 km away from the place of incident. This was filed under sections 302 (murder), 354 (outraging a woman's modesty), 376 (rape), 326 (causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and nearly 15 days after the incident.

So, how does a zero FIR work? What is the purpose of it? The Quint breaks it down for you.

What Are Zero FIRs? How Do They Work?

The concept of zero FIRs is a relatively new one. It was instated following the infamous 2012 Nirbhaya case on the recommendation of the Justice Verma Committee. The intent was to place a legal obligation on officers to register an FIR, despite any lack of jurisdiction.

Zero FIRs, which get their name from the fact they are filed separately from regular FIRs, with the serial number ‘zero.' These FIRs are used to speed up the process of investigation for ‘cognisable’ offences.

Cognisable offences, in lay man's terms, are offences for which the police does not require warrant when carrying out an arrest. These can include:

• Rape

• Robbery

• Murder

• Theft 

What Is the Procedure to File a Zero FIR?

According to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a zero FIR can be filed in the same fashion as regular first information reports: information can be submitted orally or through writing by the victim, a family member, or anybody with knowledge of the incident.

After filing a zero FIR, it becomes the officer’s responsibility to forward the information to the station with jurisdiction over the area where the crime was committed.

Why Do We Need Zero FIRs?

It has been noted that police officers are unwilling to initiate investigations due to questions of authority and jurisdiction.

For example, in the 1993 case (State Of Andhra Pradesh vs Punati Ramulu And Others) a constable had refused to lodge an FIR when approached by the nephew of a homicide victim, who was also an eyewitness to the murder, on the grounds of jurisdictional limitations.

According to Pink Legal, an Indian women’s laws platform, the primary purpose of zero FIRs is to “help victims of serious crimes (such as women) to complain quickly, in the nearest police station, without having to go from one police station to another in search of jurisdiction."

Why Are People Resorting to Zero FIR in Manipur?

Muan Tombing, general secretary of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), told The Hindu that since many were not able to travel across the valley safely ato file cases, they were pursuing zero FIRs elsewhere.

“We were able to file cases in Churachandpur but we are also registering zero FIRs for crimes committed against the Kuki community in other areas where we cannot go so that the crimes are recorded and investigated.”

Muan Tombing

However, with respect to the sexual assault incident, caught on camera, action came 77 days after the incident, only after the video went viral on social media on 19 July. Four arrests have been made in connection with the case on 20 July.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Imphal West, K Meghachandra Singh, in a press note on 19 July, said: 

"As regards the video of two women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on 4 May 2023, a case of abduction, gangrape, and murder was registered at Nongpok Sekmai Police Station (Thoubal district) against unknown armed miscreants. Investigation has started and the state police is making an all-out effort to arrest the culprits at the earliest".