Uttarakhand High Court Disposes Plea Over Online Access Of FIRs After Police Demonstrate App-Based Facility
The Uttarakhand High Court has disposed of a PIL concerning the inability to access and download FIRs online after the police demonstrated before the Court that FIRs could be accessed through the Citizen Portal and Devbhoomi Mobile App. The Court recorded that the technical team demonstrated the functioning of the system by downloading FIRs, while the State also furnished details showing that 70 FIRs had been downloaded by different persons on September 22.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay were hearing a Public Interest Litigation alleging that accused persons and members of the general public were unable to download FIRs from the CCTNS Portal. The petition relied on the Supreme Court's directions in Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India, under which FIRs, except those relating to sensitive offences, are required to be uploaded on the police or state government's website within 24 hours of registration, subject to specified extensions in cases of connectivity or other unavoidable difficulties.
The petitioner had informed the Court that an attempt to access the portal had failed and the system continuously displayed an error. Taking note of the grievance and the State's response, the Court had, on September 18, directed the respondents to ensure the presence of a technical person in Court on September 23 to demonstrate that the Citizen Portal and Mobile App were functional and that FIRs could be downloaded.
The State had earlier informed the Court that FIRs could be downloaded through the Citizen Portal and the Devbhoomi Mobile App and that a technical problem which had existed in the past had been addressed.
On September 23, the Inspector General, Kumaun appeared through video conferencing, while the other police officials and the technical team were present before the Court.
The technical team demonstrated the functioning of the Citizen Portal and Mobile App. The Court was informed that a person seeking to download an FIR is required to register on the Citizen Portal, following which the FIRs can be accessed through both the portal and the mobile application. The team also demonstrated the system by downloading several FIRs.
The S.P., CCTNS further supplied details of persons who had downloaded FIRs on September 22, showing 70 hits by different persons on the website.
Importantly, on the unavailability of FIRs pertaining to 'sensitive issues' as per the directions of the Supreme Court, the Court held:
“The S.P. CCTNS also informs the Court that all First Information Reports are available on the Citizen Portal or Mobile App except in relation to offences which are sensitive in nature, like sexual offences, offences pertaining to insurgency, terrorism and other offences of that category, and offences under POCSO Act and other related offences.
The FIRs in relation to the aforesaid offences admittedly are not required to be uploaded as provided by the Supreme Court itself. However, in our opinion, in respect of such FIRs, the respondents should enable a feature on the system which should indicate the details of FIRs, which fall under the said category of offences and consequently have not been made available on the website. It will enable the person seeking to download any such FIR to know the reason why the same is not available for downloading”.
The S.P., CCTNS assured the Court that the respondents would examine the issue and enable such a feature on the system.
As the Court found that the petitioner's concern had been addressed and no other issue remained for consideration, the PIL proceedings were disposed off.
Case: National Public Service Trust v. State of Uttarakhand & Another
Case No.: Writ Petition (PIL) No. 122 of 2026
Bench: Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay