Supreme Court summons Kochi ACP over FIR delay

The Supreme Court has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Ernakulam, to personally appear before it in a case concerning the alleged failure of the Kochi City police to register a First Information Report (FIR) on a complaint of outraging the modesty of a woman from a Scheduled category.

A Bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R. Mahadevan passed the order on Monday (May 11, 2026) on a special leave petition filed by a person challenging a Kerala High Court order denying anticipatory bail to her in connection with an assault and criminal trespass case registered at the Panangad police station in Kochi. The petitioner in the former case is the accused in the assault and criminal trespass case.

The Bench termed the affidavit filed by the State government, the first respondent, “thoroughly unsatisfactory.” The affidavit was submitted in response to an order issued on April 2, 2026.

The court observed: “The basic point, as to why, immediately upon receipt of the complaint filed by the petitioner, a formal FIR was not registered, has not been answered, despite it being an admitted fact that the complaint sent through the post was received by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, District Ernakulam, Kerala, on January 8, 2026.”

“Accordingly, we direct the Assistant Commissioner of Police, District Ernakulam, Kerala, to be personally present before the Court on May, 15, 2026, to explain, as to why, upon receipt of the complaint through post, no formal FIR was registered,” the court said. The court also extended the interim protection granted to the petitioner on February 19, 2026, to continue till the next date of listing.

Probe launched

The officer concerned has since moved out of the post. “The then ACP received the complaint and forwarded it to the Panangad station. Reportedly, the petitioner was an accused in another case registered by the police. So, the delay was probably due to the perception that it was a counter petition. However, we have since registered an FIR and launched a probe,” said the incumbent officer.

He said that he will appear in the apex court as ordered.