SC raps UP police for FIR against 'unknown' rider

'It is better if we ask CBI to step in all UP Police investigations. We might as well disband the UP Police. This nonsense has to stop at some point'

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh Police for alleged irregularities in the investigation of a criminal case, questioning how an FIR could have been registered against an "unknown" motorcycle rider, when the complainant had allegedly apprehended him on the spot and handed him over to police.

A bench of justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva strongly disapproved of the investigation and questioned the credibility of the police action. "FIR was registered against unknown persons? Why did you write unknown if the person was caught on the spot? Why did you register FIR against an unknown motorcycle rider if he was caught on the spot? How will people trust the police?" the bench said.


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The matter came before the court on a plea by the complainant, who appeared in person and alleged that the preliminary investigation was biased from the outset. According to her, she had caught the motorcycle rider involved in the incident and handed him over to the police. Despite this, FIR was registered against unknown persons, with the accused column left blank.

The complainant further pointed out that after the high court sought a status report, the rider's name was subsequently included in the charge sheet before he was later given a clean chit. She also questioned the status of the motorcycle, alleging that it had been seized without a number plate but was subsequently shown as bearing a registration number during the probe. "Toeing the line is one thing but bending over backwards... And this kind of cover up job? Less said the better," SC said.

SC questioned whether such investigative practices could inspire public confidence, observing that leaving the name of an apprehended suspect blank and subsequently altering case details raised serious concerns.

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"It is better if we ask CBI to step in all UP Police investigations. We might as well disband the UP Police. This nonsense has to stop at some point," the bench observed.

The officer has been asked to specifically explain why the rider's name was omitted from the FIR despite his alleged apprehension on the spot and why his name was subsequently introduced during the investigation.