Published Paper Details:

The process of getting criminal justice in India, starts with the process of filing an FIR, an important procedural step under criminal law, traditionally posed as a practical barrier for the victims. The shift from a regular FIR to Zero FIR and E-FIR, shows that a victim-centric approach has been taken up, so as to ensure easy access of criminal justice in modern India. The concept of Zero FIR, was so introduced in this nation, when it felt that an FIR must be filed irrespective of the territorial jurisdiction, most importantly in cases of sexual offences, interstate crimes and situations demanding immediate action by the administrative authorities. Whereas, the concept of E-FIR ensured that the process of demanding justice, not only starts from the court itself, but also by allowing complaints to be lodged online. This type of Fir addresses challenges like fear to approach the police station, time constraints etc. Together, Zero FIR and E-FIR signify a move towards easy justice acquiring process, and technical integration in criminal field, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability in criminal law enforcement.