3 Things About Police & Law You MUST Know Before It’s Too Late!

Raj Saraf
Apr 21
3 min read

Police Station Gaye? Pehle Ye Samjho!

You never think you’ll end up in a police station.Until one day — you do.

Your phone’s gone.Someone hit your cousin.A builder took your money.You walk in hoping for justice.

Instead, you hear:

“Complaint toh le lenge, lekin FIR nahi banegi.”“Non-bailable hai. Bail nahi mil sakti abhi.”“Yeh offence cognizable nahi hai. Pehle Magistrate ke paas jaaiye.”

You nod. You leave.You Google.And somehow, you’re more confused than before.

That’s not your fault.It’s the system’s habit of speaking law in a language people were never meant to understand.

It’s time that changed.

Why This Series Exists

I’m Advocate Raj Saraf — a criminal lawyer, youth activist, and someone who’s spent enough time in courtrooms and police stations to tell you this:

Most people don’t lose their case in court.They lose it the day they walk into a thana not knowing what to say, what to ask, or what to expect.

That’s why this blog series exists.Not to give legal lectures.Not to drown you in jargon.But to explain the law the way it should’ve always been explained — clearly, practically, and with real-life examples.

No complicated terms. No shortcuts.Just straight-up clarity that could change everything for you.

The 3 Legal Questions That Confuse Everyone

Here’s the truth:You don’t need to know all of criminal law.But if you ever step inside a police station, you will definitely face one of these three questions.

How you understand them could decide the entire outcome of your case.

1) Complaint vs. FIR

“Mainne likhwa diya hai… FIR hi hai na?”

Most people think writing down a report is enough. But in law, a complaint and an FIR are not the same thing.

One gets noted.The other sets the system in motion.

Knowing the difference could be the line between justice… and nothing happening at all.

2) Bailable vs. Non-Bailable

“Arrest ho gaya… bail milegi?”

Not every arrest means jail. And not every offence gives you bail by default.There’s a legal line — and if you don’t know which side you’re on, you might:

Panic when you didn’t need to…or relax when you shouldn’t.

Blog #2 breaks this down with real examples and exact sections from BNSS 2023.

3) Cognizable vs. Non-Cognizable

“Police ne FIR se mana kar diya… kya yeh sahi hai?”

This is where most people give up.If the offence is non-cognizable, the police can’t even start investigating without court permission.

But who explains that to the aam aadmi?

In Blog #3, we explain how bail really works — and what the police can (and can’t) decide.

Who Should Read This?

Anyone who’s ever been told “yeh legal matter hai” and didn’t know what to do
Law students who want to go beyond bare acts into real-life law
Young people who believe in Nyay — and want to understand the system before they demand change
Families who want to do the right thing, without being taken for a ride

What You’ll Get From These Blogs

Not a law degree.Not shortcuts.But something more powerful:

Enough clarity to ask the right questions — at the right time.And sometimes, that’s all it takes to make the system take you seriously.

These blogs won’t just inform you.They’ll prepare you.

If you’re someone who wants law explained without ego, complexity, or cold detachment — this might just become your go-to legal guide.

Before You Go

If you’ve never been in legal trouble — good.But that day might come.And when it does, these three basics will decide whether you’re guided… or lost.

So start here.Then move to Blog #1 Complaint vs FIR.After that, Blog #2 Bailable vs. Non-Bailable and then Blog #3 Cognizable vs. Non-Cognizable