LUCKNOW, March 29 -- In a move aimed at improving the quality of investigation and reducing legal confusion for citizens, the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters has issued a detailed public-oriented directive clarifying that not every complaint can lead to registration of an FIR. Acting on instructions from DGP Rajeev Krishna issued on March 18 and in compliance with a February 25 order of the Allahabad high court, the police have drawn a clear line between cases where FIRs are mandatory and those where the law requires a direct complaint before a magistrate or authorised authority. HT has accessed the PDF copy of the DGP's circular available on the official website of the UP Police. In simple terms, if you approach a police station with certain types of complaints-such as cheque bounce, workplace harassment, environmental violations, or consumer disputes-the police cannot register an FIR even if they want to. Instead, they are now required to guide you to file a complaint in the appropriate court or before a designated authority. This is because, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), courts can take cognizance of these offences only when a formal complaint is filed, not on the basis of a police FIR. The directive covers over 30 laws where offences fall under "complaint-based cognizance". These include domestic violence disputes under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act and cheque bounce cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Others include consumer complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, environmental violations under air and water pollution laws, wildlife and animal cruelty cases, child labour violations, workplace sexual harassment cases, food safety, medical regulation and trade-related violations. In such matters, the police role is limited to advisory and facilitation, not investigation through an FIR. The high court flagged repeated instances where FIRs were wrongly registered in such cases, despite clear legal restrictions. This often led to cases collapsing during trial due to procedural defects. Officials said that registering an FIR where it is legally barred can invalidate the entire investigation, lead to dismissal of the case in court and cause hardships to both complainants and the accused. To avoid confusion, the headquarters has also listed laws where FIRs must be registered, including serious offences under the NDPS Act, the Arms Act, the SC/ST Act, the POCSO Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act, the IT Act and organised crime laws. All field officers-from CPs to SHOs-have been directed to strictly follow the guidelines. Any deviation, especially wrongful FIR registration, will invite departmental action. Officials say the directive is designed to make policing more procedure-driven and legally sound. For the public, it provides much-needed clarity that every complaint is important, but not every complaint translates into an FIR. The move is expected to reduce unnecessary litigation, improve conviction rates and ensure that cases are filed through the correct legal channel from the outset....