What to Do If Police Refuse to Register Your FIR: An Illustrative Scenario in Bengaluru

To make the general position concrete, here is an illustrative, hypothetical situation (not a real case) that raises this question.

The illustrative scenario

The question

A reader in this situation might ask:

How the general rule applies

Under BNSS s.173(4), if the police refuse to register an FIR, the aggrieved person may send the substance of the information in writing, by post, to the Superintendent of Police.

If this does not lead to registration, the next step is an application to the jurisdictional Magistrate for a direction to register the FIR, which under BNSS s.175(3) must be supported by an affidavit.

Send the substance of your complaint in writing, by post, to the Superintendent of Police, as provided under BNSS s.173(4).

What often gets missed in situations like this

• Only complaining informally or by phone — the law expects a written complaint to the SP as the first escalation step.
• Applying to the Magistrate without an affidavit, which BNSS s.175(3) now requires.

Where this scenario is set (Bengaluru)

• The High Court with jurisdiction is the Karnataka High Court.
• Matters at the district level are generally handled at the Bengaluru City Civil & Sessions Court, or the Court of Small Causes for rent matters.
• The relevant police authority is the Bengaluru City Police.

As noted above, this scenario is a constructed illustration used to explain the general rule — it does not describe a real client, case, or outcome.

For the general rules, see What to Do If Police Refuse to Register Your FIR, FIR Registration and Zero FIR: How It Works, and Preliminary Enquiry Before an FIR: When Police Can Hold One.

If you would like this looked at against your own facts, a consultation is a reasonable next step.

This page is general information about the law in India and is not legal advice. The position can vary with the facts, so it is worth getting advice on your specific situation.