Barring specific circumstances, the law makes it mandatory for the police to register an FIR on receiving information about commission of a cognizable offence. A constitution bench of the Supreme Court in Lalita Kumari vs Government of Uttar Pradesh held: "Registration of FIR is mandatory under Section 154 of the (Criminal Procedure) Code, if the information discloses commission of a cognizable offence and no preliminary inquiry is permissible in such a situation."