Andhra CM Naidu orders Zero FIR system for cybercrime complaints

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday directed officials to introduce a Zero FIR mechanism for cybercrime complaints to prevent financial losses and improve response times.

Reviewing cybercrime prevention measures at the Secretariat, Naidu said complaints received through the proposed cyber war room should immediately trigger Zero FIR registration, enabling banks to be alerted within the “golden hour” and helping prevent fraudulent transactions.

The Chief Minister stressed that there is no legal concept of a “digital arrest” and ordered stringent action against fraudsters posing as police, court or government officials to extort money. He said cybercriminals were looting citizens’ life savings through such scams and called for stronger coordination among banks, police, Andhra Pradesh Technology Services (APTS) and financial institutions.

Naidu also directed officials to intensify awareness campaigns and cyber patrolling, emphasising that prevention should receive equal attention as investigation.

Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta presented the proposed Andhra Pradesh Cyber Guard initiative, a cybersecurity framework built on six pillars: a cyber war room, a 1930 helpline dashboard, AI and technology integration, capacity building, a three-tier architecture and public awareness.

A state-level cyber war room will be established at Prabhala Tech Park in Mangalagiri within 30 days. The facility will house 11 specialised divisions, including emergency response, cyber threat intelligence, cybersecurity operations, legal compliance and district coordination.

The existing 1930 cyber helpline will be strengthened through an integrated dashboard linked to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Police are also putting systems in place to contact banks within 10 minutes of receiving complaints and freeze suspect accounts.

The state plans to deploy MuleHunter.AI in collaboration with the RBI and leading banks to improve fraud detection. Around 500 police personnel will receive specialised cybercrime training within a year, while cyber units will be established in all 28 districts and four regional hubs.

Officials said AP CID and APTS teams studied systems at the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre in New Delhi and are designing a Cyber Fusion Centre. Agreements with banks for 30-minute response timelines and the upgrade of CCS police stations into specialised investigation units are also planned.

Naidu said Andhra Pradesh should strive to become a cybercrime-free state and urged agencies to continuously upgrade their strategies against emerging threats.