Chandigarh: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the fee charged for downloading FIRs and related records, bringing the issue under judicial scrutiny.
The petition, filed by advocates Vasu Ranjan Shandilya and Abhishek Malhotra, questions the Punjab government’s policy of charging fees for accessing FIRs, Daily Diary Reports (DDRs) and missing reports through the Punjab Police’s ‘Saanjh’ portal.
The plea argues that charging money for accessing such key documents creates an “illegal barrier” to transparency and access to justice. It raises concerns over the monetisation of essential documents in the criminal justice system, which, according to the petitioners, are legally required to be provided free of cost.
The petition further claims that the policy lacks legal backing and has not been made publicly available, thereby failing the test of transparency. It states that the move violates Section 173(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which mandates free copies of FIRs, and also contravenes Punjab Police Rules.
Citing the Supreme Court judgment in Youth Bar Association of India vs Union of India, the petition emphasises that free and easy public access to FIRs is a crucial element of transparency in the criminal justice system. Any financial barrier, it argues, defeats the purpose of making FIRs available online.
