LUCKNOW: Reprimanding the police department while taking note of FIRs lodged in a criminal incident, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court termed the FIRs “absurd” and far removed from the ground reality.
A division bench comprising Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava observed, “The time has come for the courts to step in and put a check on fanciful and highly exaggerated FIRs being lodged by authorities, of which the present case is a blatant example.”
The bench passed its order on February 16, 2026, highlighting blatant incongruities in the FIR and alleging abuse of law at the behest of authorities.
Referring to an FIR lodged in Bahraich district following an alleged police encounter that led to the arrest of persons accused of cow slaughter, the court directed the Superintendent of Police, Bahraich, to file a personal affidavit within two weeks. Failing this, the officer was directed to appear before the court in person.
Notably, the FIR filed by the district police contained dialogues such as “tum log police se ghir chuke ho” (“You are surrounded by the police”).
The FIR also referred to an alleged conversation during the encounter in which an accused reportedly said that dawn was about to break, even though the time of the encounter mentioned in the FIR was 10:45 a.m.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Akbar Ali, one of the three accused arrested in the Bahraich case, seeking relief.
The FIR, registered on January 22 at Jarwal Road police station, invoked provisions under Sections 325 (mischief by killing or maiming an animal) and 109(1) (attempt to murder for allegedly firing at a police team) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with offences under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act and the Arms Act.
In its order, the court noted that the FIR was lodged at 2:24 pm, while the alleged encounter and exchange of fire were stated to have occurred at 10:45 am the same day.
According to the FIR, the district police had received a tip-off from an informer regarding alleged cow slaughter and that the accused were in the process of disposing of meat.
The court observed that the FIR claimed that upon reaching the spot, the police heard voices saying, “ujala hone wala hai” (“Dawn is about to break”).
“The police party is said to have yelled, ‘…tum police se ghir chuke ho… aatm samarpan kar do’ (‘You have been surrounded by the police; surrender yourself’),” the court noted.
The FIR further stated that, in response, the accused allegedly shouted, “These are the cops, shoot them. None of them should survive.”
According to the police version, officers fired at the accused, after which one of them allegedly cried out, “Hai goli lag gai” (“Oh, I have been shot”). Three persons were apprehended while a fourth managed to flee, the FIR stated.
The bench observed that “the entire FIR reads like a movie script.” It pointed out that although the FIR recorded the incident as having taken place at 10:45 am, it simultaneously mentioned statements indicating that dawn had yet to break.
“It is not understood how, at 10:45 hours, dawn was still to break. This blatant incongruity in the FIR reflects a patent abuse of law at the behest of authorities, rendering the FIR capable of being quashed,” the court said.
The bench further remarked that the FIR appeared to borrow popular movie-style dialogue, including “Tum log police se ghir chuke ho, aatm samarpan kar do” and exclamations such as “hai goli lag gai.”
Expressing serious concern, the court observed that it had repeatedly noted that the language used in FIRs often fails to reflect the actual ground situation and instead appears hearsay-based, scripted, and heavily borrowed from film dialogues, making them fanciful and exaggerated.
Considering these observations, the court directed the Superintendent of Police, Bahraich, to file a personal affidavit addressing the inconsistencies evident from a plain reading of the FIR within two weeks.
Listing the matter for March 16, the court further ordered that if the affidavit is not filed, the SP must appear in person along with the case records to assist the court. Until then, no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner pursuant to the impugned FIR.