Police Cannot Refuse to Register an FIR on Email Complaint from Abroad: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court held that police cannot refuse to register a first information report (FIR) merely because a complaint was sent via email from abroad without a signature. 

Citing Section 173 of the BNSS, 2023, the Court said Zero FIR allows complaints to be filed regardless of jurisdiction when the complaint discloses a cognizable offence. 

The case involved a woman in Australia who filed a 2020 email complaint against her husband, which Muttom police refused to act on due to a lack of a signature and her overseas location. 

The Court held this refusal was wrong and directed Muttom Police Station to act on her fresh complaint.