While the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal got a staggering 22,57,808 complaints between January 1, 2020 and May 15, 2023, only 43,022 First Information Reports (FIRs) – a mere 1.9% — have been registered by states, according to data obtained in response to a Right to Information (RTI) Act query from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which is responsible for managing the portal.
Launched in 2020, the portal serves as a vital channel for reporting cybercrimes and acts as an intermediary, forwarding the complaints to the respective states and union territories for necessary police action as the police machinery falls under the jurisdiction of state governments.
The Centre’s initiative was to empower victims and complainants to report cybercrime complaints online. The portal covers cases related to online Child Pornography (CP), Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), sexually explicit content such as Rape/Gang Rape (CP/RGR), mobile crimes, online and social media crimes, online financial frauds, ransomware, hacking, cryptocurrency crimes, and online cyber trafficking.
It allows anonymous reporting, specifically for online child pornography and sexually explicit content such as Rape/Gang Rape.
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, RAPE
A total of 1,58,190 complaints have been reported in the online child pornography and Rape/Gang Rape category. A total of 154 FIRs have been registered by the states — 0.09%. West Bengal (67,082) has recorded the highest number of complaints in these categories, followed by Tamil Nadu (12,785) and Maharashtra (10,878). The states have filed 13, 3, and 9 FIRs, respectively.
CYBER FINANCIAL FRAUD
Of the 20,99,618 complaints of cyber financial fraud, state governments have filed FIRs in 42,868 cases (2%). Uttar Pradesh leads with the highest number of cases (3,84,942), followed by Delhi (2,16,739), and Maharashtra (1,95,409). The number of FIRs remains below 2% in each of these states.
Telangana, however, stands as an exception, with the state registering the highest number of FIRs at 17%.
EXPERTSPEAK
Mumbai-based RTI activist Jeetendra Ghadge, of The Young Whistleblowers Foundation, who obtained the data, said, “The portal makes it easy to register a complaint for citizens across the country. However, the lack of FIR registrations by state governments limits its purpose. In light of rapid technological advancements and changing crime patterns, it is imperative for both the Central and state governments to collaborate on a solution to combat the growing menace of cybercrimes. Particular attention needs to be given to addressing financial frauds, where vulnerable individuals are losing their hard-earned money.”
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