A criminal investigation does not end simply because the police have questioned people, collected evidence, or arrested a suspect. There must be a proper record of what the investigation has found. This is where the police report becomes important. It tells the court what the police have discovered and whether there is enough material to proceed against a person. At the same time, the information collected during the investigation cannot be hidden from the accused without a proper legal reason. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which came into force on 1 July 2024, sets out rules for preparing this report and sharing the relevant documents. These rules matter because an unfair investigation can affect both the victim seeking justice and the person facing criminal charges.