Nagaland Police Bans Criminal Cases for Civil and Business Disputes

Kohima: Nagaland Police has issued a new directive prohibiting all police stations and district forces from registering First Information Reports in purely civil or commercial disputes. This order, released by Director General of Police Rupin Sharma on June 10, seeks to stop the misuse of criminal law to settle business disagreements, loan recoveries, or broken contracts.

Officers must now personally review complaints involving trade credits or pending payments before taking action. Under the new guidelines, if criminal intent is not immediately clear, police must conduct a preliminary enquiry to determine if a cognisable offence actually exists. The circular explicitly states that if a complaint lacks evidence of dishonesty at the start of a transaction, officers should avoid filing a criminal case.

Instead, complainants will be directed to seek justice through civil courts, consumer forums, or mediation. The department warned that officials who ignore these rules face consequences, noting that "officers who disregard the instructions and register criminal cases in matters deemed purely civil could face stringent disciplinary action, including major penalty proceedings."

This policy aligns with recent Supreme Court guidance discouraging the use of criminal proceedings for contractual issues. However, the police department clarified that cases involving genuine allegations of cheating or criminal breach of trust will still be investigated following a standard preliminary enquiry.