In Brief
A retired IAS officer sought a court order requiring police to conduct a preliminary inquiry before registering any FIR against him for alleged abuse of office and corruption in land allotments. The Supreme Court dismissed his appeal, upholding settled law that FIR registration is mandatory under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code when allegations clearly disclose cognizable offences. Preliminary inquiry is only required when facts are unclear. The Court held that courts cannot impose blanket restrictions on FIR registration or mandate pre-FIR inquiries beyond statutory requirements, as this would constitute judicial overreach. The appellant remains entitled to pursue other legal remedies such as bail applications and challenges to frivolous prosecutions.
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