New Delhi: In a move aimed at tackling the rising tide of financial cybercrimes, the Ministry of Home Affairs has rolled out a new rule under which complaints made via the 1930 cybercrime helpline or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) will now automatically be converted into e-Zero FIRs, starting with cases involving losses of ₹10 lakh or more.
The new system has been launched as a pilot project in Delhi and is expected to be scaled across the country in the coming months. Announcing the move on his X handle, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “The MHA’s Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) introduced the new e-Zero FIR initiative to nab any criminal with unprecedented speed. Launched as a pilot project for Delhi, the new system will automatically convert cyber financial crimes filed at NCRP or 1930 to FIRs, initially above the threshold limit of ₹10 lakh.”
He added, “The new system, which will drive investigations swift,ly cracking down on cybercriminals, will soon be extended to the entire nation. The Modi government is bolstering the cybersecurity grid to build a cyber-secure Bharat.”
The ministry said the initiative is aligned with the objective of creating a 'Cyber Secure Bharat' and aims to address the challenges victims face in retrieving lost funds. The decision to initiate this move was taken during a recent review meeting chaired by Shah.
The pilot links the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre’s portal with the Delhi Police e-FIR system and the National Crime Record Bureau’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS), creating a streamlined mechanism for prompt action.
“Now, complaints related to financial losses above the threshold limit of ₹10 lakh made to NCRP and 1930 will automatically lead to registration of a Zero FIR with the e-Crime Police Station of Delhi. This will be immediately routed to the territorial Cybercrime Police Stations. Complainants can visit the cybercrime Police Station within 3 days and get the Zero FIR converted into a regular FIR,” the ministry stated.
Delhi Police and I4C have together set up this system in accordance with the newly introduced provisions of Section 173 (1) and 1(ii) of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The e-Crime Police Station of Delhi has been officially notified to register these FIRs and forward them to the relevant jurisdictions.
The initiative is expected to improve the conversion rate of cybercrime complaints into FIRs, helping in quicker investigation, recovery of stolen funds, and deterrence against digital fraud.
BI Bureau
