CUTTACK: Police FIRs, chargesheet and other reports in the State will henceforth sport uniform Times New Roman font with 12 point size and 1.5 line spacing.In a circular in pursuance of a Orissa High Court order, the DGP has asked the police officers to use the uniform pattern of font size and line spacing while preparing FIR, chargesheet, final form, prosecution report, etc., in all types of cases for better visibility and readability of the content.
It all started when the single judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi came across a copy of a chargesheet while considering a bail application five months ago. The chargesheet was neither legible in open eye nor visible properly because of very tiny font size of the text prepared by the investigating officer.
Justice Panigrahi felt that such smallest font size causes wastage of considerable time and energy of the court while reading the same. In fact, presenting information in a perceptually degraded fashion is affront to the reader of the text. This is a regular phenomenon encountered by the prosecution, defense and the court. Such smallest font size causes wastage of considerable time and energy of the court while reading the same.
“This is a very serious issue and the DGP, Odisha should inform to all the police officers of all police stations to follow a uniform pattern of font size of 12 in Times New Roman while preparing the chargesheet, FIR or any reports with line spacing of 1.5 which shall ensure a better visibility and readability,” Justice Panigrahi observed while issuing the direction on March 19.
In an affidavit submitted before the court on August 24, the DGP said he has already directed all the police districts to use uniform pattern of font size of 12 in Times New Roman and line spacing 1.5 while preparing the FIR/final form/prosecution report.