The Supreme Court of Pakistan has strongly criticized the police for delaying the registration of an FIR (First Information Report) in a murder case. Justice Athar Minallah ruled that delaying an FIR is a violation of the Constitution and undermines justice.

The case involved a man named Sita Ram, accused of killing Chandar Kumar in August 2018. The complainant, Dr. Anil Kumar, informed the police immediately, but the FIR was registered two days later. SHO Qurban Ali admitted that while he recorded the report in the Daily Diary, he failed to file the FIR under Section 154 of the CrPC.

Justice Minallah called the police’s behavior a serious constitutional breach. He stated that delayed FIRs can lead to loss of evidence and can result in false cases against innocent people. The court emphasized that FIR registration is a legal duty of every police officer, and delays especially harm the poor and vulnerable.

The ruling pointed out that police in Sindh show a worrying trend of delaying FIRs, often serving the powerful instead of the public. The Supreme Court warned that this promotes the image of a “police state” rather than a constitutional one.

The court acquitted Sita Ram, giving him the benefit of the doubt due to the weak investigation and delayed FIR. It also directed all provincial Inspectors General (IGs) to ensure proper enforcement of the law and asked Prosecutor Generals to create SOPs to restore public trust in the justice system.

Justice Minallah concluded that public trust in the police is the true measure of whether Pakistan is a constitutional state or a police state.

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