Source: News on Air
Context
Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar informed Parliament that the e-Zero FIR system for cybercrime has been operationalised across 18 States and Union Territories.
What It Is
- A digital, borderless law enforcement framework that automatically generates a First Information Report for reported cyber financial crimes, irrespective of police jurisdiction.
- Nodal body: the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Legal Basis
- Rests on Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which permits information about a cognizable offence to be given electronically, and irrespective of the area where the offence is committed.
- This is the provision that replaced Section 154 of the CrPC, 1973, and it is what made e-Zero FIR legally possible — a rare case of a new criminal procedure code directly enabling a technology solution.
System Integration — Three Pillars
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and Helpline 1930
- State/UT e-Crime Police Stations
- NCRB’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS)
Aim
- Accelerate law enforcement action against cybercriminals.
- Eliminate jurisdictional delays in filing complaints.
- Enable instant freezing of defrauded funds.
- Facilitate swift restoration of lost money to victims.
