The First FIR Lodged in India
-by Abhrajita Mondal
–Reading Time – 2 min Approx
The first FIR lodged in India: released on a Tweet by Delhi Police
Very few evidence is as nostalgic, as the first-ever tweet by Delhi Police. For the uninitiated, Delhi Police had lodged their first complaint on October 18, 1861. So, now the world knows about the first crime that happened in Delhi. The crime dates back to the nineteenth century. The tweet comes with the hashtag #KhaasHaiItihaas. It points towards the fact that ‘History is special’. For onlookers, the FIR is written in the Urdu language. It reported the theft of utensils and other goods from a house in ‘Dilli’.
The 156 years old FIR on Twitter
You will be amazed to know about the stolen goods. They include three large cooking utensils, three small vessels, a bowl, a smoking pipe, women’s garments, and ice cream. The FIR was filed under the Police Act at Subzi Mandi Police Station. The total worth of goods was 45 annas. The Twitter community was seemingly thrilled to get this information. A copy of the FIR now hangs at Subzi Mandi Police Station. Another copy is on display at Delhi Police Museum since 2014. The FIR was registered by Maeeuddin, son of Mohd Yaar Khan, a resident of Katra Sheesh Mahal.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madhur Verma got it translated from Urdy a few years back. Till then, not many were able to understand what the complaint was all about. If you go back to ‘Purani Dilli’, you will be able to decipher, that there were only five police stations in Delhi in 1861. The Subzi Mandi was one of them. The others were Mundka, Mehrauli, Kotwali and Sadar Bazar.
Cases Registered in the 19th Century
Officials from the Delhi Police have revealed that there are several cases from that period. One was that of a ‘theft of a mule’, in 1895.
On February 16, 1891, another FIR was registered at the same police station. It was about the theft of 11 oranges that were worth two annas. Moreover, there was another theft on December 13, 1894, when a man was caught red-handed while pick-pocketing four annas.
On March 15, 1897, a man was arrested for stealing pajamas worth five annas. The thief was awarded a punishment of five lashes by the court.
History of Delhi Police
By now, you know that the Delhi Police has a longstanding history of policing. It started with the ‘kotwal’ tradition. Moreover, Malikul Umara Faqruddin was the very first Kotwal of Delhi. He obtained the position, due to his integrity. After him, many other kotwals came to occupy primary spot. Malik Alaul Mulk is another kotwal, to have obtained a lot of fervor from the erstwhile nawabs. The institution of Kotwal came to an end, just before the Revolt of 1857. The last Kotwal was none other than Gangadhar Nehru.
The British set up a formal mode of policing, with the birth of the Indian Police Act of 1861. The capital has come a long way, from then. It is an established police force, considered one of the best in the country.
-by Abhrajita Mondal
Dear Reader, Hope you liked the post. If you think our initiative “The Creative Post” is worth supporting, then please support us by paying the amount you think we are worthy of. We believe, the value of content should be decided by the consumer. Hence we request you to evaluate our worth and pay accordingly by Clicking Here.
