Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], May 14 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, along with Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, launched two portals to improve the Gujarat Police’s ability to combat crime in both street and cyberspace, implementing timely advancements in intelligence, surveillance, and conviction, the Chief Minister’s office said in a press release.
The Chief Minister launched these portals to improve citizen-centric services, build public trust in government offices, and maximise the use of technology. With these portals, citizens will now have access to online services, reducing the need for in-person visits to police stations, thereby promoting ease of governance. Additionally, the Chief Minister also initiated the statewide launch of the Cyber Crime Refund Portal, “Tera Tujhko Arpan.”
Additionally, the Chief Minister also launched an online application to reactivate bank accounts frozen due to financial cybercrime complaints, along with the i-PRAGATI portal, designed to keep complainants informed about the progress of their FIR investigations.
In eGujCop system, forms are required to be filled out at every stage of an investigation, such as during FIR registration, conducting a panchnama, arresting the accused, and filing the chargesheet.
Now, the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) has introduced a new feature in eGujCop, under which the complainant automatically receives a system-generated SMS whenever any of these four key stages are completed. This ensures that the complainant remains fully informed about the progress of the investigation.
The i-PRAGATI system (Investigation Progress Report through Automatically Generated Accurate and Timely Information), after a successful pilot phase, has now been formally launched across the state by the Chief Minister.
This portal will help the Home Department achieve the goals of good governance, transparency, and reduced human interference in the state’s administrative processes, as envisioned by CM Bhupendra Patel.
On October 3, 2024, Union Minister of Home and Cooperation, Amit Shah, launched the “Tera Tujhko Arpan” portal in Ahmedabad. Created by Ahmedabad’s Cyber Crime division, the portal speeds up refunds for citizens who have lost money to cybercrime, mainly through Lok Adalats (People’s Courts). The portal benefits both citizens and police.
This portal serves to benefit both citizens and police stations by streamlining the refund procedure and improving the overall efficiency of cybercrime resolution.
There are several benefits of the portal for citizens.
Online registration and real-time status tracking ensure a fast and easy refund process. Citizens can retrieve money lost in cybercrimes without the need for an FIR, making it a convenient and accessible option for the public. Fast court orders and automated procedures save citizens time, reducing the need for repeated visits to police stations.
Benefits of the Portal for Police Stations include each police station is provided with a unique user ID and password, allowing for accurate tracking and real-time monitoring of data.
Automation streamlines the preparation of refund-related documents, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy.
The paperwork process for refund applicants, which previously took 2 to 3 hours, is now reduced to just 15 minutes, benefiting citizens directly. This leads to fewer pending cases at police stations and improved efficiency.
A notable decrease in pending applications has led to a more than 50 percent increase in efficiency.
Guided by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, the success of the Ahmedabad City Police has led to the statewide launch of the portal. Before the launch, Ahmedabad City Police, in coordination with CID Crime, conducted online training for all police stations twice, and now, the portal has been implemented statewide.
User IDS and passwords have been created for all police stations in the state. Before the portal launch, Ahmedabad City Police, in coordination with the CID Crime, provided online training to all police stations twice. This portal has now been launched statewide across Gujarat by CM Patel.
Furthermore, CM Patel has launched another application designed for online submission to unfreeze bank accounts that have been frozen. This application is available through the State Cyber Crime Cell, CID Crime, Gandhinagar.
When a complaint related to financial cybercrime is reported to the Cyber Crime Helpline number 1930, the accused’s bank account is frozen through the NCRP portal under BNSS 106 (CRPC 102) to prevent the fraudulently acquired money from being moved.
Launched by the state police, this online unfreeze application allows applicants across any state in India to request the unfreezing of their bank account without visiting in person. They can submit an online request, receive an application number, and track the status via their contact number or WhatsApp from home.
The application notifies the applicant via email when their bank account is unfrozen, eliminating the need for phone calls or other forms of contact.
Using this application, applicants can submit their requests directly, eliminating the need for intermediaries and saving both time and money. This streamlined process ensures full transparency at every step.
While launching this portal, CM Patel stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted technology as a means to serve citizens and strengthen national security. “This vision has been effectively implemented by our armed forces, who achieved success in Operation Sindoor through the use of technology,” he said.
He further said that technology enables the prevention, detection, and swift prosecution of crimes, while accelerating investigations and ensuring that criminals are swiftly punished. He emphasised that PM Modi has secured this through the introduction of new laws.
Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi stated that one of the biggest challenges ordinary citizens face is the difficulty in getting timely updates on the progress of their complaints at police stations. “Over the past two years, we have recognised this problem, and as a result, we have developed a system that ensures complainants receive timely SMS updates about their FIR, Panchnama, accused arrests, and chargesheet directly on their mobile phones. The i-PRAGATI portal has been created to implement this system,” he said.
The Minister further added that Gujarat is the first state to set an example for others with its citizen-centric approach to tackling cybercrime, successfully unfreezing over two and a half lakh bank accounts.
Additionally, under the leadership of CM Patel, a policy was introduced to freeze accounts only when the fraud amount exceeds Rs 5 lakh or if more than four complaints are filed. This measure was taken to safeguard the financial interests of ordinary citizens. To simplify the process of unfreezing funds, a dedicated portal has been developed. Furthermore, the Cyber Crime Refund Portal has been launched, allowing citizens to easily recover money lost in cybercrimes. Going forward, all these portals will be integrated into a single platform for Gujarat Police, which is currently being developed.
M K Das, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department and Chief Minister’s Additional Chief Secretary, stated that Gujarat is the growth engine of India. India is the fastest-growing country in the world, and Gujarat leads as the fastest-growing state within the country. The key factor behind this growth is the peace and security in Gujarat. He also added that the technology-driven portals developed by Gujarat Police will enhance convenience for citizens in the future and foster greater trust in the police.
On this occasion, the state’s Director General of Police, Vikas Sahay, provided detailed insights about the three portals developed with a citizen-centric approach.
Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department M K Das, Director General of Police Vikas Sahay, along with senior police officials and other invitees, were present. (ANI)
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