MHA Introduces e-Zero FIR To Accelerate Crackdown on Cyber Frauds

Moneylife Digital Team 20 May 2025

Public Interest

In a significant step towards streamlining responses to cyber financial crimes, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has rolled out a pilot of the e-Zero first information report (FIR) initiative in Delhi. The system enables the automatic conversion of cybercrime complaints—specifically those involving financial losses above Rs10 lakh—into FIRs, substantially reducing the time between complaint and investigation.

The initiative, developed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), aims to empower victims by speeding up the recovery process and ensuring rapid punitive action against cybercriminals.

Union home minister Amit Shah, in a social media post, said the project will drastically enhance the ability of law enforcement agencies to track and apprehend cyber fraudsters with unprecedented speed. He noted that the system was introduced to address the difficulties faced by victims in getting their money back after falling prey to financial cybercrimes.

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,…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 19, 2025

The newly-introduced mechanism integrates the national cybercrime reporting portal (NCRP), cybercrime helpline 1930, Delhi police’s e-FIR system, and the crime and criminal tracking network & systems (CCTNS) managed by the national crime record bureau (NCRB).

Under the pilot framework, any complaint involving financial losses above Rs10 lakh made through NCRP or 1930 will trigger an automated registration of a zero FIR at the e-crime police station in Delhi. This FIR will then be routed to the relevant territorial cybercrime police station based on jurisdiction.

Victims will be allowed a three-day window to visit the cybercrime police station and have the zero FIR converted into a regular FIR. The process is compliant with the latest criminal law reforms, specifically the newly introduced section 173 (1) and 1(ii) of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

According to MHA, the e-zero FIR system will soon be extended beyond Delhi to other states and Union territories (UTs), enabling nationwide standardisation of cybercrime reporting and enforcement.

The move is expected to significantly improve the conversion rate of cybercrime complaints filed via NCRP or 1930 into official police cases. It also enhances the chances of tracing and restoring defrauded funds to victims.

According to officials, the new system will be critical in bridging the gap between digital complaint platforms and actionable criminal proceedings, ultimately building a stronger and more responsive cybersecurity grid across the country.

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