Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa has registered 446 e-Zero FIRs in cyber financial fraud cases since the facility became operational in February this year, the Union Government informed the Lok Sabha.
The figures were shared by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a written reply, highlighting the State’s adoption of the technology-driven system introduced to accelerate action on cyber financial fraud complaints.
The e-Zero FIR mechanism is integrated with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the 1930 cybercrime helpline, allowing eligible complaints to be converted into FIRs without the complainant having to initially visit a police station.
According to the Minister, Goa has recorded 446 such FIRs within the first few months of implementation. In comparison, Uttarakhand, where the system was introduced a month later, has registered 552 e-Zero FIRs.
The legal framework for the initiative is provided under Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which permits the reporting of cognisable offences through electronic communication, irrespective of the place where the crime was committed.
The Centre has created a unified digital platform for all States and Union Territories to process cyber financial fraud complaints. If a complaint involves a financial loss above the threshold fixed by the respective State or UT, it is automatically registered as an e-Zero FIR at the designated e-Crime Police Station.
The case is then electronically forwarded to the cybercrime police station that has territorial jurisdiction to investigate the offence.
The Minister added that complainants must visit the concerned police station within three days to complete the formal conversion of the e-Zero FIR into a regular FIR, after which the investigation proceeds in accordance with law.
