ایک وقوعہ کی ایک ھی ایف آئی آر درج ھو سکتی ھے۔ اندراج ایف آئی آر کے بعد گرفتاری ملزم لازمی نہ ھے

 P L D 2018 Supreme Court 595

(Seven Members Bench)

Registration of multiple FIRs for the same incident--Question as to whether a separate FIR could be registered for every new version of the same incident when commission of the relevant cognizable offence already stood reported to the police and an FIR already stood registered in such regard--Held, after entering the first information relating to commission of a cognizable offence in the prescribed book, i.e. after registration of an FIR the matter became a "case",and thereafter every step taken in the ensuing investigation was a step taken in that case--Perusal of R. 24.5 of the Police Rules, 1934 showed that commission of a cognizable o ffence, when reported to the police through the first information and registered in the FIR register, was treated as a "case" bearing an annual serial number and such "case" carried the same number for ever irrespective of any number of different versions received by the police regarding commission of the said offence or any number of different circumstances or sets of culprits brought to the notice of the investigating officer during the investigation of the "case"--investigation conducted afte During the r registration of an FIR the investigating officer may --record any number of versions of the same incident brought to his notice by different persons which versions were to be recorded by him under S. 161, Cr.P.C. in the same case No separate FIR was to b e recorded for any new version of the same incident brought to the notice of the investigating officer during the investigation of the case--- All subsequent or divergent versions of the same occurrence or the persons involved therein were to be received, r ecorded and investigated by the investigating --officer in the same "case" which was based upon the one and only FIR registered in respect of the relevant "offence" in the prescribed book kept at the local police station.

Arrest of accused---Principles---

Ordinarily no person was to be arrested straightaway only because he had been nominated as an accused person in an FIR or in any other version of the incident brought to the notice of the investigating officer by any person until the investigating officer felt satisfied that sufficient justification existed for his arrest---For such justification guidance was found in the relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 and the Police Rules, 1934---Suspect was not to be arrested straightaway or as a matter of course and, unless the situation on the ground so warranted, the arrest was to be deferred till such time that sufficient material or evidence became available on the record of investigation prima facie satisfying the investigating officer regarding correctness of the allegations levelled against such suspect or regarding his involvement in the crime in issue.