"Better To Hand All Investigations To CBI, Disband You": Supreme Court Raps UP Police Over FIR Discrepancies
Supreme Court pulls up Uttar Pradesh Police over ‘Utterly Uninspiring’ Affidavit; Seeks Explanation For Naming Accused Motorcycle Rider Later Who Was Apprehended At Spot
The Supreme Court has given the concerned police officer an opportunity to explain the discrepancy in investigation and place a better affidavit before the Court.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh Police over the manner in which a First Information Report was registered against an “unknown” motorcycle rider despite the alleged rider having been apprehended at the spot.
"If the individual was caught on the spot, why was he listed as "unknown"? If he was caught at the scene, why was the FIR filed against an unknown motorcyclist? How are people supposed to trust the police?" the bench questioned UP Police.
A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva questioned the police’s handling of the investigation and expressed concern over the credibility of the process.
"You have an agenda in everything. If you proceed with cases in this manner, how can people trust you? It would be better to assign all UP Police investigations to the CBI," the court remarked.
"We could even disband the UP Police. This nonsense must stop at some point," it went on to observe.
The matter arose from a petition in which the complainant, appearing in person, questioned the manner in which the police recorded and subsequently investigated the case. According to the proceedings, the motorcycle rider had allegedly been apprehended at the spot and handed over to the police. Despite this, the FIR registered on August 19, 2026, initially named an unknown motorcycle rider.
The Court questioned the rationale behind such an entry. “Why did you register an FIR against an unknown motorcycle rider if he was caught at the spot?” the Bench asked, while also raising concerns about how public confidence in the police could be maintained if such discrepancies occurred during investigation.
It also scrutinised the affidavit filed by Shobhit Kumar, Circle Officer, Khurja, Bulandshahr. The Bench found the affidavit “utterly uninspiring” and noted that the police document itself subsequently disclosed the identity of the motorcycle rider as Tushar, son of Prempal.
Court specifically sought an explanation as to why the rider’s name was left blank in the FIR initially and was subsequently supplemented. It has accordingly directed the officer to remain personally present at the next hearing and permitted him to file a fresh affidavit explaining the circumstances surrounding the registration of the FIR.
The Supreme Court has also raised questions over the implications of leaving the identity of an allegedly apprehended person out of the FIR and introducing the name at a later stage.
During the hearing, the Court also made strong oral observations regarding the manner in which investigations were being conducted in the State, including questioning whether such practices could undermine public trust in the police.