The Complaint with Two Impossible Times
A woman comes to the thana and hands you a handwritten complaint. It reads: 'To the O.C., I want to say that on 12 March at about 7:30 p.m. I parked my bicycle outside the medicine shop. When I came out at 7:15 p.m. it was gone. The shopkeeper says a boy in a blue shirt took it. I had gone into the shop at 6:50 p.m. and stayed 25 minutes. My bicycle is black, number WB-XX-1234. Please take action.' The complainant is agitated and says the original must be sent 'as it is'. You notice that the times do not fit. You must record the substance of the complaint and prepare a brief entry for the case diary.
1. Identify the timeline inconsistencies in the complaint and explain why they matter for recording the case.
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Two contradictions appear. First, she says she parked at about 7:30 p.m. but came out at 7:15 p.m.; she cannot have parked after she came out. Second, she says she entered the shop at 6:50 p.m. and stayed 25 minutes, which means she came out at 7:15 p.m., not 7:30 p.m. The 7:30 p.m. parking time is inconsistent with both other times. The discrepancy matters because the first information should fix the time and sequence of the alleged occurrence; an inconsistent timeline can weaken the case and misdirect the investigation. It does not mean the theft did not happen, but the constable must clarify the timing before recording the formal substance.
2. Rewrite the complaint as a clear chronological statement of 60–80 words, preserving all facts but inventing nothing.
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On 12 March, between about 6:50 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., I went into a medicine shop after parking my black bicycle, number WB-XX-1234, outside. I stayed in the shop for about 25 minutes. When I came out at about 7:15 p.m., the bicycle was gone. The shopkeeper told me that a boy in a blue shirt had taken it. I request that action be taken.
3. What should you do if the complainant refuses to correct the statement?
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Record her statement as she gives it, without altering or improving it. Read it back to her, have her sign it, and add a separate note by you explaining the inconsistency and any clarification she offers. If the facts disclose a cognizable offence, register the FIR; the discrepancy is a matter for investigation, not a ground to refuse registration. If the offence is non-cognizable, enter the substance in the general diary and advise her of the legal position. Never substitute your own corrected version for her original complaint, because the original may be evidence and the accused may challenge any interpolation.