Punjab Reverses Order on Charging for FIR Copies from Police Website

The Punjab government has withdrawn its decision to charge ₹80 for downloading First Information Reports (FIRs) from the Punjab Police website. The government has also cancelled the earlier notification issued in this regard and released fresh orders. The matter had earlier reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where a petition was filed challenging the decision. Advocates Vasu Ranjan Shandilya and Abhishek Malhotra had approached the court, seeking the reversal of the fee. The petitioners argued that charging for FIR downloads violates the fundamental rights of citizens and requested the court to immediately strike down the fee. During the course of the issue, a delegation of lawyers also met Special DGP A.S. Rai to raise their concerns regarding the matter. In their petition, the advocates alleged that Punjab Police was charging ₹80 for downloading FIRs through its ‘Saanjh’ portal/app, which they termed unjustified. They stated that as per legal provisions, a victim or complainant is entitled to receive a copy of the FIR free of cost. The Supreme Court has also directed that FIRs should be made available online so that people can access and download them without any charge. The petition further pointed out that existing police rules clearly state that no fee should be levied for providing copies of FIRs. It also highlighted that imposing such charges creates barriers to access to justice, particularly for economically weaker sections. Since an FIR is a public document, it should be accessible without any additional fee.