An FIR is the start of an investigation, not a finding of guilt. But the decisions taken in the first week usually shape the whole case.
1. Get the FIR and read the sections
You have a right to a copy. FIRs are now registered under Section 173 of the BNSS, with offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Most are uploaded to the state police portal. The exact sections decide whether the offence is bailable or non-bailable, and whether police can arrest without a warrant.
2. Do not try to handle the police alone
Statements made informally at a station have a way of resurfacing. You must co-operate with the investigation. You are not required to talk your way out of it, and Article 20(3) protects you against being compelled to be a witness against yourself.
3. Decide on anticipatory bail immediately
If the offence is non-bailable and there is a real prospect of arrest, apply under Section 482 BNSS before the Sessions Court. This is time-sensitive.
4. Preserve your own evidence now
Messages, emails, call records, bank entries, CCTV, travel records. Under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, electronic records need a proper certificate to be admissible, so preserve devices rather than just forwarding screenshots.
5. Consider whether the FIR is challengeable
Where an FIR does not disclose an offence even taken at its highest, or is malicious, or is a civil dispute dressed up as a crime, the High Court can quash it under Section 528 BNSS. That is fact-specific and not routine.
Do not contact the complainant directly to "sort it out". In matrimonial and harassment cases in particular, that call or message becomes an annexure. Any settlement talks should go through lawyers.