AlejandroQkj at 01:24, 22 January 2026

2026-01-22T01:24:18Z

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{{Short description|Classifications of crime}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}

'''Cognisable offence''' and '''non-cognisable offence''' are classifications of crime used in the legal system of [[India]],<ref name="Indian police">{{cite book|author=James Vadackumchery|title=Indian Police and Miscarriage of Justice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8sdPHoeMikYC&pg=PA12|accessdate=9 April 2014|date=1 January 1997|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-7024-792-0|page=12}}</ref> [[Sri Lanka]], [[Bangladesh]]<ref name="intprop bangladesh">{{cite book|author=Sayeed Raas Maswod|title=Intellectual Property Law of Bangladesh in a Nutshell|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CwOeAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA117|accessdate=9 April 2014|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-0-557-64210-6|page=117}}</ref> and [[Pakistan]]. Non-cognisable offences includes misbehaviour, public annoyance etc., while cognisable offences are more serious crimes.

== Definition ==
Generally, cognisable offence means an offence in which a police officer has the authority to make an arrest without a warrant and to start an investigation with or without the permission of a court. By contrast, in the case of a non-cognisable offence, a police officer does not have the authority to make an arrest without a warrant and an investigation cannot be initiated without a court order. The police can file a [[first information report]] (FIR) only for cognisable offences. In cognisable cases police can make an investigation without prior permission of a magistrate. Cognisable cases are more serious than non-cognisable cases.<ref name=fir.pdf>{{cite web|title=What is an FIR?|url=http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/police/fir.pdf|publisher=Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative|accessdate=5 May 2014}}</ref> Normally, serious offences are defined as cognisable and usually carry a sentence of 3 years or more.<ref name="courts police">{{cite book|author=Sunil Goel|title=Courts, Police Authorities & Common Man|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H9z8bslBJv4C&pg=PA117|accessdate=9 April 2014|year=2005|publisher=Sunil Goel|isbn=978-81-907218-0-6|page=117}}</ref>

For a non-cognisable offence, a [[community service register]] is registered instead of a first information report.

== In India ==
In India, crimes like rape and murder are considered cognisable unlike crimes like public nuisance, hurt and mischief.<ref name=fir2.pdf>{{cite web|title=First Information Report (F.I.R)|url=http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/publications/police/first_information_report.pdf|publisher=[[Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative]]|accessdate=5 May 2014|author=Doel Mukerjee|author2=Maja}}</ref> In general non-cognisable offences are bailable and placed under the First Schedule of the [[Indian Penal Code]] (IPC).
On 12 November 2013, the [[Supreme Court of India]] said it was mandatory for the police to register a First Information Report for all complaints in which a cognisable offence has been discovered.<ref name=sc_dis>{{cite news|title=Police can't dodge FIR if cognisable offence is disclosed|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/police-cant-dodge-fir-if-cognizable-offence-is-disclosed/article5342930.ece|accessdate=5 May 2014|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=12 November 2013}}</ref>

=== Procedure ===
The Section 154 in the [[Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973]], of India states:
{{blockquote|

# Every information relating to the commission of a cognisable offence, if given orally to an officer in charge of a police station, shall be reduced to writing by him or under his direction, and be read over to the informant; and every such information, whether given in writing or reduced to writing as aforesaid, shall be signed by the person giving it, and the substance thereof shall be entered in a book to be kept by such officer in such form as the State Government may prescribe in this behalf.
# A copy of the information as recorded under sub-section (1) shall be given forthwith, free of cost, to the informant.
# Any person aggrieved by a refusal on the part of an officer in charge of a police station to record the information referred to in sub-section (1) may send the substance of such information, in writing and by post, to the [[Superintendent of police (India)|Superintendent of Police]] concerned who, if satisfied that such information discloses the commission of a cognisable offence, shall either investigate the case himself or direct an investigation to be made by any police officer subordinate to him, in the manner provided by this Code, and such officer shall have all the powers of an officer in charge of the police station in relation to that offence.<ref name="PrakashInstitute2007">{{cite book|author1=Abhinav Prakash|author2=American Law Institute|title=Code of Criminal Procedure|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yeF2I_nHHNMC&pg=PA88|access-date=5 May 2014|year=2007|publisher=Universal Law Publishing|pages=88–89|id=GGKEY:YAA8ZAH3645}}</ref>}}

== See also ==
* [[Community service register]]
* [[First information report]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Law}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cognizable Offense}}
[[Category:Law enforcement in India]]
[[Category:Law enforcement in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Law enforcement in Bangladesh]]

{{Law-enforcement-stub}}

Cognisable offence - Revision history

AlejandroQkj at 01:24, 22 January 2026