Gandhinagar, Feb 3 (NationPress) The Home Department of the Gujarat government has released a circular stipulating that no police first information report (FIR) can be directly filed against a current government officer or employee without conducting a preliminary inquiry, as per officials.

As outlined in the circular, upon receiving a complaint at a police station concerning a government officer or employee, the police must first carry out an initial verification of the facts and circumstances, rather than immediately filing an FIR, officials reported on Monday.

Legal proceedings, including the registration of an FIR, will only commence if the preliminary inquiry reveals that a cognizable offence appears to have occurred.

The Home Department noted that this decision was made after observing that numerous complaints were lodged against officials due to personal disputes, administrative disagreements, or with the intention to intimidate.

Such unfounded complaints have been found to cause undue harassment to officials, negatively impacting their morale and professional standing.

The circular highlights that, in recent years, complaints related to land and property disputes, licensing issues, and standard administrative decisions have frequently led to police cases being registered solely based on allegations.

These situations often subjected officers to lengthy inquiries, public scrutiny, and mental distress, even when no wrongdoing was ultimately proven.

Under the newly established framework, anonymous complaints or those filed under false identities, or lacking supporting evidence, will be subject to rejection during the preliminary phase.

The police have also been instructed to finalize the initial inquiry within a specified timeframe to prevent complaints from lingering indefinitely.

In cases involving allegations of corruption, misuse of authority, or other serious accusations, the circular mandates that prior approval from the appropriate authority or the head of the relevant department is necessary before initiating a formal investigation.

The government has clarified that this requirement is designed to uphold due process and does not compromise accountability.

The Home Department emphasized that the circular should not be misconstrued as offering protection to errant officials.

If the preliminary inquiry substantiates the allegations, strict legal actions will be pursued without leniency.

Officials indicated that this initiative aims to foster a safer administrative environment, allowing officers to perform their duties without the fear of false complaints while ensuring that legitimate cases of misconduct are addressed through fair and lawful procedures.