Real Customer Pattern
Quick answer: Ask the police station first - the informant’s copy of an FIR is free by law, and stations ordinarily provide NCR/CSR receipts on request; practice varies by state. If the copy is refused or the record “cannot be found”, an RTI to the district police gets a certified copy of the NCR/GD entry and the recorded status of any enquiry - the PIO’s reply is ordinarily due in 30 days under Section 7(1).
Check This First
- The station itself: ask in writing for the copy, quoting the date and any receipt number - keep the acknowledgement of your request.
- Online copies: several states publish FIRs online (subject to exceptions) and some provide complaint-status portals; check your state police website - and note that NCRs are usually not published even where FIRs are.
- Know which document you hold: an NCR records a non-cognizable matter under Section 174 of the BNSS, 2023 (earlier Section 155 CrPC) - police need a Magistrate’s direction to investigate; a CSR-type receipt (the naming varies by state) acknowledges a petition/complaint. The RTI should name the right register.
What an RTI Can Ask
- A certified copy of NCR/entry no. ________ dated ________ recorded at [police station], or of the General Diary entry recording my complaint of that date.
- The current status of and action taken on the said complaint/NCR, as on record.
- The reasons recorded, if a copy was refused when requested.
- The prescribed procedure for obtaining copies of such records, as on record.
Honest limit: material whose disclosure would impede an ongoing investigation can be exempt under Section 8(1)(h) - though your own complaint’s receipt record rarely is. See the Bhagat Singh case note for how commissions have read this exemption.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Calling everything an “FIR” - if it was recorded as an NCR, ask for the NCR/GD entry; a mismatched request invites a “no such record” reply.
- Not quoting the date and station - the register is chronological; the date is the key.
- Accepting a verbal “record not traceable” - RTI converts that into a written, appealable answer.
Common Questions
Is an NCR copy free like an FIR copy?
The copy the law provides free of cost is the informant’s FIR copy. For NCR/CSR copies, practice and fees vary - the RTI route costs the standard RTI fee (Rs. 10 in most cases, free for BPL) and yields a certified copy.
The police say a non-cognizable matter is "closed". Can I still get records?
Yes - the entry, the status and any recorded reasons remain records. For non-cognizable matters, investigation needs a Magistrate’s direction; the record of what was (or was not) done is exactly what the RTI retrieves.
I lost my copy years ago. Can RTI find it?
Ask for a certified copy of the entry by station, date and (if known) number. Registers are retained per the force’s retention schedule - the RTI can also ask what that schedule says for the year in question.
How FileMyRTI Helps
We draft the certified-copy RTI naming the correct register and address it to the district police PIO. Apply below, or book a guided session (Rs. 499). Related: FIR copy or status not given.
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FileMyRTI's RTI drafting team prepares your application within 24 hours. Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, the PIO is ordinarily required to respond within 30 days. If there is no proper response, we help with the First Appeal route.
Apply Now — Starting ₹399 →Want the full details of this service — what we ask, what you get, and how filing works? See the dedicated service page: RTI For Fir Status
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