Crime and its reporting happen in relays, a country for its good governance & maintenance of tranquility requires complaints to be registered, these then need to be taken in cognizance and resolved in an established manner. A proper administration of the criminal justice system, therefore, requires balancing the rights of the victim and the accused. In India, the distribution of power takes place among its departments and thus reporting of crime, and its settlement happens by involving various branches of government. Reporting of crime is the initial step in the criminal justice system. The ‘First Information Report’ is an essential process in the investigation of a criminal case, in common parlance and in media reporting.

The criminal procedure in India is governed by the CrPC 1973.