CHENNAI– The Tamil Nadu government has introduced fresh regulations that fundamentally change how crime reports, known as First Information Reports (FIRs), are handled. Under the new framework, individuals can now approach any police station within the state to register a complaint, even if the crime took place in a different district or area. This policy is designed to make it significantly easier for victims and witnesses to report incidents without worrying about geographical boundaries. Once a complaint is lodged, the receiving police station is responsible for electronically and physically transferring the case file to the correct jurisdictional police station within a strict 24-hour timeframe, ensuring no delays in the initial reporting stage.
Embracing Digital Transformation
The state is leveraging technology to integrate various stages of the criminal justice process. For instance, official summons can now be served through authenticated email addresses or mobile numbers verified via one-time passwords, replacing traditional paper methods. A dedicated mobile application, eSakshya, has been made mandatory for police personnel to record audio and visual evidence directly from crime scenes and upload photographs, which helps in building a robust and tamper-proof chain of custody for evidence. Furthermore, the new rules mandate the digital logging and tracking of all summons services, ensuring a clear and auditable trail of communication.
Standardizing Police Procedures
The newly implemented rules are set to bring a new level of consistency and uniformity across all police stations and criminal courts in Tamil Nadu. By establishing standardized practices, the government aims to eliminate discrepancies in how cases are managed and processed. This includes mandatory maintenance of both electronic and physical registers for a wide array of procedural events, such as arrests, the issuance of summons, and reports related to non-cognizable offenses. The regulations also clearly define the formats and timelines for submitting police reports and final investigation reports, ensuring that documentation is consistent and timely.
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Citizen-Centric Approach and Training
These reforms are fundamentally designed to be more responsive to the needs of the public. Citizens now have multiple convenient avenues to file information about criminal incidents, including through email, the official police website, or even via SMS. A significant provision makes it compulsory for police to accept, register, and forward complaints for non-cognizable cases, which were previously often overlooked. Crucially, complainants are also guaranteed the right to receive an acknowledgment receipt for their reports, providing formal proof of their complaint. To ensure a smooth transition and effective implementation of these comprehensive changes, the Tamil Nadu Police has undertaken extensive measures, including thorough testing of all new digital platforms, providing necessary hardware, and conducting comprehensive training programs for its personnel across the state.
“The Tamil Nadu Criminal Procedure Rules, 2025 institutionalise standardised practices across police stations and criminal courts, while simultaneously driving digital transformation in the way criminal procedures are administered,” Tamil Nadu DGP Shankar Jiwal said.
