Police Station Refuses Complaint Acknowledgement

Reviewed on: 2026-05-30.

Documents attached: 1. [receipt/status screenshot] 2. [previous complaint/acknowledgement] 3. [supporting proof]

RTI is useful when a public authority holds the record behind police station refuses complaint acknowledgement. Ask for information, not action. Good RTI points are: current status of file, date-wise movement, copies of deficiency notes, inspection reports, payment release note, dispatch record, rule relied upon, name and designation of the office holding the file, and copies of correspondence between offices. Do not ask the PIO to “solve my grievance” or “punish the officer”. RTI cannot force a private company to refund money unless the record is held by a public authority, but it can expose government-side delay, missing file movement or reasons.

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Save the closure screenshot and file a second-level complaint asking for the reasons, the record examined, and the remedy refused. A closure without reasons is often easier to challenge than a reasoned rejection.

1. Step 1: What to do when police refuse to register complaint or give acknowledgement? (a) Complaint registration: (i) police must register FIR for cognizable offense — Section 154 CrPC (now BNSS 2023), (ii) for non-cognizable: NCR — Section 155 CrPC (BNSS), (iii) police must give free copy of FIR — Section 154(2), (b) refusal: (i) police refuse to register FIR, (ii) police refuse to give complaint acknowledgement, (iii) common in property, cyber, harassment cases, © rights: (i) right to FIR registration — Supreme Court Lalita Kumari judgment, (ii) right to free FIR copy, (iii) complain to SP + Magistrate + Human Rights Commission, (d) authority: SP/DCP + Magistrate + NHRC/SHRC, (e) law: BNSS 2023 Sections 173/174 + Lalita Kumari v. Govt of UP (2014).
2. Step 2: Comparison table — police refusal scenarios. (a) FIR refused: (i) issue: police refuse FIR for cognizable offense, (ii) remedy: send complaint to SP — Section 173(3) BNSS, (iii) timeline: SP investigates in 72 hours, (iv) escalation: Magistrate Section 175 BNSS, (v) example: police refused FIR; sent to SP; FIR registered in 3 days, (b) Acknowledgement refused: (i) issue: police take complaint but refuse receipt, (ii) remedy: demand stamped acknowledgement + complaint number, (iii) timeline: immediate, (iv) escalation: SP + SHRC, (v) example: police refused receipt; complained to SP; receipt issued, © NCR instead of FIR: (i) issue: police file NCR for cognizable offense, (ii) remedy: protest + approach Magistrate for FIR, (iii) timeline: 7-15 days, (iv) escalation: Magistrate, (v) example: police filed NCR; approached Magistrate; ordered FIR, (d) Direction from Magistrate: (i) issue: Magistrate orders FIR — police ignore, (ii) remedy: Contempt of Court, (iii) timeline: 7-15 days, (iv) escalation: High Court, (v) example: police ignored order; contempt filed; FIR registered, (e) Online complaint ignored: (i) issue: online complaint on portal — no action, (ii) remedy: RTI for status + SP complaint, (iii) timeline: 15-30 days, (iv) escalation: SP + NHRC, (v) example: online complaint ignored; RTI filed; action taken in 15 days. (Note: Police must register FIR for cognizable offense — Lalita Kumari judgment. Complain to SP if refused.)
3. Step 3: How to force FIR registration. (a) Step 1: Demand FIR in writing — stamped receipt, (b) Step 2: Send complaint to SP/DCP by registered post — Section 173(3) BNSS, © Step 3: If SP fails — approach Magistrate — Section 175 BNSS, (d) Step 4: File RTI for complaint status, (e) Step 5: Complain to NHRC/SHRC — human rights violation, (f) Step 6: Approach High Court — writ petition if all fail.
4. Step 5: Practical tips. (a) always demand stamped acknowledgement, (b) send complaint to SP by registered post, © Magistrate can order FIR — Section 175 BNSS, (d) RTI for status — very effective, (e) Example: A citizen's cyber fraud complaint was refused; sent to SP; FIR registered in 3 days; investigation started.
5. Step 6: Key provisions. (a) BNSS 2023 Sections 173/174/175, (b) Lalita Kumari judgment: mandatory FIR, © SP: complaint, (d) Magistrate: direction, (e) RTI: file with police dept.

See Police Refuses FIR and SC/ST Atrocities and How to File RTI and First Appeal.