Name Wrong in an FIR in Jharkhand: How It Is Corrected
An FIR (First Information Report) is written by the police from what the informant tells them. Names are often taken down by ear: "Ramesh Oraon" becomes "Ramesh Oram", a woman's married surname is used, or a father's name is guessed. A wrong name matters later, when the FIR is needed for an insurance claim, an accident claim, a lost document, or when a case shows up in police verification. An FIR itself is generally not rewritten, as reported; the right name goes on record through the investigation. We publish Gazette notices, and we say this first: a spelling slip in an FIR needs no Gazette notice.
Five points, in the order you will need them. First, read the FIR copy the day you get it; the informant is entitled to it free of cost under Section 173 of the BNSS. Second, if a name is wrong, write to the investigating officer (IO) at once, with ID proof, so the right name goes into the case diary and your statement. This is our advice. Third, if the police do not act, write to the Superintendent of Police. Fourth, if you are wrongly named as an accused, do not try to fix it with an affidavit; take an advocate. Fifth, a spelling slip does not need a Gazette. We publish Gazette notices, and we say this plainly.
What the Law Says About an FIR and the Names in It
We read reports on Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which replaced the old CrPC from 1 July 2024, and lawyers' published answers on correcting names in an FIR. The handling advice further down is ours. This is a criminal law matter. Where you are named as an accused, or the case is in court, take an advocate.
| Point | What the sources show |
|---|---|
| The law now | FIRs are registered under Section 173 of the BNSS, which replaced Section 154 of the CrPC |
| FIR copy | The informant gets a copy free of cost, as reported |
| e-FIR | Information given electronically is taken on record once signed within three days, as reported |
| Zero FIR | Any police station can register a cognizable offence, wherever it happened, as reported |
| Can an FIR be amended? | Generally no; further facts and names go on record through further statements to the investigating officer and the case diary, as reported by lawyers |
| The chargesheet | Can name persons not in the FIR, or name them correctly, if the investigation supports it, as reported by lawyers |
| If police do not act | The BNSS lets a person approach the Superintendent of Police, and then the Magistrate. Ask an advocate which applies |
So the FIR is the first word, not the last. A slip in it is cured by a written statement with proof, which the investigating officer records. What finally counts is the chargesheet or final report, and later the court record. This is our reading.
Which FIR Name Mistake You Have
Name problems in an FIR fall into a few kinds. This sorting is ours, based on the papers people send us.
| Whose name is wrong | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| The informant's own name | Written by ear, or a pet name used |
| The victim's name | A family member gave a home name |
| The owner of stolen property | The FIR names the user, not the owner on the RC or bill |
| A father's or husband's name | Guessed or shortened |
| The right accused, misspelt | The informant did not know the exact spelling |
| You, wrongly named as accused | A same-name mix-up, or a false complaint. Take an advocate |
| A tribal surname written another way | See our Oraon, Uraon and Oram spelling page |
How to Get a Wrong Name in an FIR Corrected on Record
The police record the right name through the investigation. The table below is our practical advice, not legal advice for a contested case.
| Situation | What we usually advise |
|---|---|
| Your name as informant is wrong | Written application to the IO, with Aadhaar, asking that your correct name is recorded in your statement and the case diary |
| Victim's or owner's name wrong | Same, with the victim's ID or the RC or purchase bill for property |
| Accused's name misspelt | Give the IO a further statement with the correct name and any proof you have |
| Police do not act | Write to the Superintendent of Police of the district, with copies |
| You are wrongly named as accused | Take an advocate. Do not approach the complainant or police alone |
| The case is already in court | Correction is the court's matter, through your advocate |
| Lost report with a wrong name | File a fresh report with the right name |
Keep the application short: the FIR number, police station and date, the name as written, the correct name, and copies of ID. Ask for a receiving stamp on your copy. If the gap is a pet name or a married surname, a one-and-the-same affidavit can support the application. The IO decides what is recorded. This is our advice.
For a claim, the insurer or tribunal usually reads the FIR with the later police papers. A copy of your stamped application to the IO often helps explain the slip. Whether it is accepted is their decision.
Claims, Verification and Other Uses of an FIR
An FIR copy is usually needed for one of these. This list is our advice.
| Use | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Road accident claim | See MACT compensation name mismatch |
| Vehicle theft or damage claim | See health and motor insurance |
| Duplicate RC after theft or loss | See duplicate RC |
| Lost SIM | See mobile SIM ownership |
| Police verification | See police verification and character certificate |
| Passport | See name change rejected at the passport office |
| Death in an incident | See death certificate and legal heir certificate |
Does a Wrong Name in an FIR Need a Gazette Notice?
No, for a spelling slip, a pet name or a relative's name slip. Those go on record through the investigating officer. A Gazette notice is for a genuine change of name, and it never changes a criminal case.
| Situation | What usually applies |
|---|---|
| Informant's name slip | Statement to the IO. No Gazette |
| Victim's or owner's name slip | Statement to the IO. No Gazette |
| Name after marriage | Marriage certificate. No Gazette |
| Aadhaar slip | Aadhaar update. No Gazette |
| Genuine change of name | A Central Gazette notice, then each paper |
How to Deal With a Wrong Name in an FIR, Step by Step
Get the FIR copy
Free to the informant.
Read every name in it
Yours, victim's, owner's, father's.
Note the FIR number and IO
Police station and date too.
Write to the IO
Wrong name, right name, ID proof.
Get a receiving stamp
On your copy.
Check your statement before signing
Right spelling only.
Write to the SP if nothing happens
With copies.
Take an advocate if you are accused
Do not act alone.
Central Gazette Process for a Name From Jharkhand, and Where It Fits an FIR
No district in Jharkhand has a gazette counter, so a genuine file goes from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar or anywhere else in the state to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and the notice publishes in Part IV of the Gazette of India. As reported in July 2025 the Finance Department stopped personal name change notifications from the Jharkhand Government Press with immediate effect, so there is no state alternative to fall back on.
The Eight Steps of a Name File Sent From Jharkhand
Settle the final name first
Letter by letter, with the spacing you want, and then use exactly that everywhere, Aadhaar included. A corrigendum after publication is a second fee and a second wait.
Pick the category, then its proforma
A genuine change of name is change of Name Adult or Major. A wrongly typed spelling is the public notice for a wrongly written name. Twelve categories exist and only one is yours.
Type the proforma in duplicate
Two originals with two witnesses giving signature, full name, address and mobile number on both copies. A change of name is signed in the old name; a public notice is signed in your own name.
Fill the employment field if it is a change of name
The adult proforma asks for the post of the applicant and the office or company name. A student or a homemaker should still complete it rather than leaving it blank, because a blank field brings the file back.
Publish and keep the original paper
One of the daily local leading newspapers, carrying both names in full, the father or husband name and the residential address. The whole original paper goes in the file, not a cutting.
Pay only through BharatKosh
The Non Tax Receipt Portal and nowhere else since October 2018. Select the Department of Publication by name, read the amount the portal shows on the day, pay in your own name and print the e-receipt.
Check every date, then post it yourself
Nothing in the file older than one year. Personally or by post or courier only, never through an agent or advocate. Photocopy everything first, because nothing sent in comes back.
Read the notice, then update in the right order
Check every word the day it publishes and download the e-Gazette copy. Then update Aadhaar and PAN, and then your bank account and residence papers, with the original Gazette notification.
The Five Papers in the File, and What Is Checked in Each
| The paper | What is checked in it, clause by clause |
|---|---|
| 1. The proforma, in duplicate | That it is the right category format; the existing full name exactly as your documents carry it; the new full name exactly as settled; the father or husband name; the full address with pin code; the post and office or company name where it is a change of name; the signature in the right name for the category; two witnesses complete with signature, full name, address and mobile number |
| 2. The affidavit or undertaking | The same names and address as the proforma, word for word, with wording matching the category. On Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper as our safe default |
| 3. The original newspaper | The original paper, not a cutting; the paper name and date of publication visible; both names carried; the father or husband name and residential address; dated within the last year |
| 4. Photographs, identity proof and any category paper | Two self attested passport photographs; self attested identity and address proof matching the proforma address; both witnesses proofs; and, in a public notice file, the attested photocopy of the connected document carrying the error |
| 5. The CD, its certificate and the BharatKosh receipt | MS Word, without the witness portion, with the name typed in place of the signature; the certificate that the hard copy and the soft copy are the same; the forwarding letter to the Controller of Publication with a telephone number and email; the e-receipt |
The posting detail is on the sending the file to Delhi page, the change of name wording on the proforma format page and the public notice wording on the public notice proforma page, the charge by category on the fee and undertaking page, the reasons files come back on the rejection reasons page, and the download on the download page.
What Correcting a Name in an FIR Costs
The costs are small: an application, copies and perhaps an affidavit. Not a Gazette notice, for a slip. An advocate's fee, where you need one, varies, so we print no amount.
| Item | What we can and cannot tell you |
|---|---|
| FIR copy to the informant | Free, under Section 173 BNSS, as reported |
| Application to the IO or SP | No fee that we know of |
| Affidavit | Stamp paper, Rs 100 as our safe default, plus the notary's fee |
| Advocate, if accused or in court | Varies. Agree it in writing |
| Certified copies from court | As the court charges |
| Gazette notice | Not needed for a spelling slip. Paid on BharatKosh, revised each year and non-refundable, if ever needed |
| What we charge | Quoted on the call. For telling you which paper to fix, nothing |
Myths About Wrong Names in an FIR
| What people believe | What is actually so |
|---|---|
| A wrong name in an FIR needs a Gazette | A statement to the IO puts the right name on record |
| The police will rewrite the FIR | An FIR is generally not amended, as reported |
| An FIR copy costs money | It is free to the informant, as reported |
| The FIR name is final | The chargesheet can name persons correctly, as reported |
| An affidavit changes the FIR | It only supports your application |
| A name change ends a case against me | Never. Take an advocate |
| Lost-paper reports cannot be redone | A fresh report can be filed |
| Only the accused's name matters | The owner's and victim's names matter for claims |
| The Jharkhand Government Press can publish my notice | Personal notices were stopped in July 2025, as reported |
Key Terms for an FIR
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| FIR | First Information Report, the police record of a cognizable offence |
| Informant | The person who gives the information |
| IO | Investigating officer, the police officer handling the case |
| Case diary | The IO's daily record of the investigation |
| Chargesheet | The police report to court at the end of investigation |
| BNSS | Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which replaced the CrPC |
| Zero FIR | An FIR registered at any police station, wherever the offence happened |
| NCR or lost report | A police record for a non-cognizable matter or lost item |
| One-and-the-same affidavit | A sworn statement that two names are one person |
FIR Name Help Across Jharkhand
For a person whose FIR spells a name wrongly, the first question is whose name it is and what the FIR is needed for. We read the FIR and draft the application and affidavit; we do not handle criminal cases, and the IO decides what is recorded. For a spelling slip, we will tell you that you need no Gazette notice, and we charge nothing for telling you. We help people across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar and every other district, on scans over WhatsApp.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send the FIR copy and your ID
Send the FIR copy first, then the ID of the person wrongly named, and tell us what the FIR is needed for. Our first reply tells you which paper to fix, and where. For a spelling slip, we will tell you that no Gazette notice is needed and charge you nothing. Details on the contact page.
- 📞Call 9540005002
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️info@jharkhandnamechange.com
- 📍Ranchi office: Main Building, Near Shaheed Chowk, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834001
- 🏛️Head office (Gazette filing desk): Metro Pillar No. 377, Near Burari Metro Station, Shop No. B-1, Ground Floor, Gali No. 1, Khasra No. 31/12, Hardev Nagar, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Delhi 110084
Name Wrong in an FIR in Jharkhand: Frequently Asked Questions
Can the police correct a name in an FIR?
Who do I write to?
What do I send?
Do I get a free FIR copy?
I filed an e-FIR. Does it count?
The police are not acting on my letter.
My name is wrong in an FIR for a lost phone.
The FIR names my car's driver, not me, the owner.
I am wrongly named as an accused.
The case is already in court.
Do I need a Gazette notice?
How much of this can you do for me?
Sources on FIRs and Names
| Source | What it is used for on this page |
|---|---|
| Drishti Judiciary, Section 173 of BNSS | Free FIR copy to the informant, e-FIR signed within three days, zero FIR, as reported |
| LawRato, lawyers' answers on names in FIR and chargesheet | FIR generally not amended; further statement to the IO; chargesheet can name persons, as reported |
| Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 | The law that replaced the CrPC from 1 July 2024 |
| What we could not verify | Each police station's practice; online FIR copy services in each district |
| Our other pages on the neighbouring questions | police verification; MACT compensation; alias name Gazette |
Wrong Name in an FIR in Nine Lines
The short version
- The informant gets an FIR copy free, as reported.
- Read every name in it the same day.
- An FIR is generally not rewritten, as reported.
- Write to the investigating officer with ID proof.
- Keep a stamped receiving copy.
- Check every statement before signing.
- Write to the SP if nothing happens.
- If you are named as accused, take an advocate.
- A spelling slip needs no Gazette notice.