e-Zero FIR Initiative

e-Zero FIR Initiative Latest News

The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has launched the e-Zero FIR initiative, which automatically converts financial cybercrime complaints over ₹10 lakh into First Information Reports (FIRs).

What is the e-Zero FIR Initiative?

• The e-Zero FIR initiative is a new mechanism where financial cybercrime complaints involving fraud above ₹10 lakh are automatically converted into FIRs if reported via the 1930 helpline or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
• This system has been launched on a pilot basis in Delhi by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Objective: The initiative aims to speed up investigations into large-scale cyber frauds and ensure swift action against cybercriminals.
• Rationale: It addresses the longstanding grievance of victims who face delays in FIR registration and difficulty recovering stolen money.
• Legal framework: The system is aligned with the provisions of Sections 173(1) and 1(ii) of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
• The e-Crime Police Station of Delhi has been officially notified for e-FIR registration and case transfer under these legal provisions.

How Does the System Work?

• Complaints of financial cybercrime losses above ₹10 lakh, once filed through 1930 or NCRP, will automatically trigger a Zero FIR at the e-Crime Police Station, Delhi.
• This Zero FIR is immediately routed to the relevant territorial cybercrime police station, based on the complainant's location.
• Victims are required to visit the cybercrime police station within 3 days to get the Zero FIR converted into a regular FIR.

Integration of Key Platforms

• The process involves integration of: I4C’s National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), Delhi Police’s e-FIR System, and National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).
• This interlinking of databases facilitates real-time processing, auto-routing, and nationwide interoperability for cybercrime cases.

About Zero FIR

• A Zero FIR can be registered at any police station, regardless of the place of the crime.
• It ensures that jurisdictional issues do not delay investigation and provides legal urgency for prompt action.
• Introduced following the Justice Verma Committee recommendations post the Nirbhaya case (2012), it reinforces victim-centric policing and quick redressal.

e-Zero FIR Initiative FAQs

Q1: What is the e-Zero FIR Initiative?
Ans: The e-Zero FIR allows victims to file an FIR at any police station, irrespective of jurisdiction, especially in cases of sexual assault, cybercrime, and urgent threats.

Q2: Who launched the e-Zero FIR system?
Ans: It was part of initiatives under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Digital Police Portal, integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS).

Q3: Is e-Zero FIR legally valid?
Ans: Yes, it is a legally valid FIR, and once transferred to the correct jurisdiction, it proceeds like a regular FIR.

Source: TH