An FIR is the start of a criminal investigation, not a finding of guilt. What you do in the first days after an FIR is registered, how you respond to police notices, what you say and what documents you preserve, often shapes the rest of the case.
First steps
- Get a copy of the FIR. It is usually available online on the Haryana Police portal, or can be obtained from the police station or court.
- Assess the risk of arrest and, where needed, apply for anticipatory bail before taking any other step.
- Do not ignore police notices. A notice to appear (Section 35(3), BNSS) should be answered, ideally after legal advice.
- Preserve evidence in your favour: messages, emails, bank records, call logs and witnesses' details.
Quashing of the FIR
The Punjab and Haryana High Court can quash an FIR under Section 528 of the BNSS (formerly Section 482 CrPC) where, for example:
- the allegations, even if accepted as true, do not make out any offence;
- the dispute is essentially civil or commercial and has been given a criminal colour;
- the FIR is plainly malicious or filed to settle a personal score; or
- the parties have genuinely settled the dispute, in cases where the court considers quashing appropriate.
Courts follow principles laid down by the Supreme Court, including the well-known guidelines in State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal (1992).
During the investigation and trial
- Representations to senior police officers where the investigation is one-sided
- Discharge applications once the chargesheet is filed, if the material does not support the charges
- Full trial defence: cross-examination of witnesses, defence evidence and final arguments
- Appeals and revisions against orders and convictions
How we can help
We review the FIR and the evidence, advise you on how to respond to the police, and choose the right remedy, whether that is anticipatory bail, quashing, discharge or a full defence at trial.