e-Zero FIR | 21 May 2025

Source: PIB 

The Union Home Minister has launched the e-Zero FIR initiative as a pilot project in Delhi under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to improve the efficiency of investigating cyber financial frauds, supporting the vision of a Cyber Secure Bharat. 

• Zero FIR: An Zero FIR can be filed at any police station, regardless of the jurisdiction, for a cognisable offence and is transferred to the proper jurisdiction for investigation. 
  • e-Zero FIR is the electronic version of Zero FIR and is enabled under Section 173(1) and 1(ii) of the BNSS.  
• Key Features of e-Zero FIR: 
  • Automatic FIR Registration: Cyber financial fraud complaints above Rs 10 lakh, filed via National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) or Helpline 1930, will be automatically converted into Zero FIRs. 
    • Complainants must visit the concerned police station within 3 days to get the Zero FIR converted into a regular FIR. 
  • Systems Integration: Combines I4C’s NCRP system, Delhi Police’s e-FIR system, and NCRB’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) into a unified cybercrime reporting and investigation framework. 
• FIR (First Information Report): An FIR is the first formal report of a cognizable offence (police can arrest without a warrant and begin investigation without magistrate approval) filed by an individual and recorded by the police.  
  • It initiates the criminal justice process.  
  • They are regulated under Section 173 of the BNSS, 2023.