NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has issued directions to the police force not to use complex Urdu and Persian words while registering FIRs, diaries or chargesheets as it sometimes gets difficult for the complaint or even the accused to understand the contents.
It is pertinent to mention here that almost every FIR or chargesheet of a case contains several difficult words that are not easily understood by a common reader. Citing directions given by Delhi High Court in 2019 to the Delhi Police to avoid using complicated Urdu and Persian words, the Commissioner asked the personnel to use simple words easily understood by all parties involved.
Notably, a bench of the Delhi High Court while hearing a Public Interest Litigation in 2019 had made an observation that the police officers work for the general public at large and not for those who hold doctorates in Urdu, Hindi or Persian.
“Despite issuing the above instructions, it is observed that compliance with the above instructions is not satisfactory. Archaic Urdu/Persian words are still being used by the investigating officer while registering the FIR as well as while preparing the diary list and charge sheet etc,” the police chief said.
Arora, issuing a circular in this regard, directed the police officers to ensure the maximum use of simpler words in FIRs. “Non-compliance with the above instructions will be viewed seriously, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken,” the order read.
The police chief and the orders also shared a list of 383 complex words in Urdu which are most commonly used in the FIRs or chargesheets. With every Urdu word, he gave an alternative word in Hindi or English which can be used from now onward.