Latest news with #TeraTujhkoArpan
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
In 15 months, Gujarat Police recovered over Rs 147 crore lost to cyber fraud. Reporting within 8 hours the key, say officers
In the last 15 months, the Gujarat Police has recovered over Rs 147 crore that were lost to cyber fraud cases. The figure is more than half of what was recovered between 2020 and 2024, officials told The Indian Express. Most of the recovery was made in cases reported in the eight-hour window from the commission of the crime, they added. Between January 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, Gujarat police recovered a total of Rs 147.74 crore lost to cyber frauds, compared to Rs 218.16 crore recovered since 2020, largely because of an active helpline and co-ordination with banks, said officers. To be sure, the total money lost by victims of cyber frauds in the January 2024-April 2025 period is Rs 1,761.73 crore as compared to Rs 2,941 crore lost in the three years since 2020, when digital activity picked up during the Covid-19 pandemic. This means that the recovery in the last 15 months is almost 8% of the amount lost than the nearly 7% recovered in the three years prior. In 2024, the Gujarat police returned Rs 113.33 crore to victims while it has already managed to recover Rs 34.41 crore in the current year. A sum of Rs 672.55 crore (since 2020) has been traced and currently 'frozen', awaiting court orders for returning to the victims. On Wednesday, to expedite cyber crime refunds to citizens, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the statewide Cyber Crime Refund Portal, 'Tera Tujhko Arpan'. This would enable innocent citizens to use their bank accounts online without having to appear in person before the police in cases where accounts were reported to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) for being used in a financial transaction in a cyber crime case. Gujarat Cyber Crime Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Sharma says that the success rate of recovery of cyber crime money is high when cases are reported within eight hours. There is also a reasonably high probability of recovery until two days after the crime, he adds. Sharma says, 'In Gujarat, we have a live case feature. If someone reports a cyber fraud within eight hours of being victimised, our success rate goes up 80%. Cyber crime is like a road accident, where you can save a person if you rush them in time for treatment. The success rate is higher in crimes where the person gets to know that he has been defrauded within two days. Cases of digital arrest take up to a week for the victim to realise as do investment frauds, where the victims are unaware for months at end…' Sharma says that while digital arrests and investment frauds mostly originate from foreign countries, within India, Gujarat Police has traced most of the crime money to Rajasthan, Haryana, UP, West Bengal and Odisha. 'In India, Mewat region is one of the hotspots of cyber crime – this includes a few districts of Rajasthan, UP, and Haryana. But the accounts used for cyber frauds are also coming from many other states like Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal … Most of the money in frauds that originate outside India is ultimately settled in cryptocurrency. This mostly includes digital arrests and investment frauds,' he adds. 'Market frauds, identity and insurance frauds also have Indian origin and so, we can get the perpetrator and the recovery. Our recoveries include money from Indian-origin as well as foreign originated frauds because ultimately, so long as the money is in the bank chain, it can be recovered,' Sharma tells The Indian Express. A dedicated call center of 150 personnel, including 60 police officers, attending to cyber crime victims in real-time, an almost foolproof money trail through liasoning with banks in freezing crime money, and 'relentless' awareness campaigns to urge residents to report victimisation — all this has ensured that the Gujarat police bettered its success rate of physical recovery of money lost in various cyber crime cases in the last six years, making it among the top three states in the country for cyber crime detection and recovery, said officers. Among the cases detected is one of investment fraud, with over Rs 7 crore defrauded from victims, which is the highest loss from one source. Sharma says that the Gujarat Police managed to recover over Rs 5 crore after arresting the main accused in the case. A second case involved a gang of seven persons, arrested for duping people in the garb of selling online games. Another fake marketing scam saw accused duping victims of more than Rs 3 crore. The Gujarat Cyber Crime have, so far, recovered Rs 30 lakh in the case. The Gujarat Police recovered Rs 1.8 crore in an investment fraud case on arresting the accused. Sources said in one case of a fake website, the accused was arrested with Rs 8 lakh, which was almost the entire 'fraud amount' taken from a victim. The Gujarat Police data shows that cyber crimes in marketplace frauds and identity frauds are higher in number, followed by investment frauds for stock markets and securities. The police also say that the success rate in recovering money is higher in case of marketplace frauds as they are also mostly originated within India. Sharma says, 'Marketplace and identity frauds, where people think they are speaking to someone genuine and make payments are common. People do realise that they have been victimised faster… Insurance frauds are also higher. When the victim is engaged for longer, like in digital arrests and stock market scams, it is easier to move the money out of the system, which is why cyber criminals are coming up with modus operandi to keep victims engaged for longer.' According to the cyber crime chief, 'Recently, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) [established by MHA] has onboarded the cryptocurrency exchanges on the portal so if it is converted into cryptocurrency, it can be frozen. But the issue here is that many crypto wallets are actually brought into the exchange of the cyber crime chain as they run as a 'trust wallet', on the principle of hawala money. If the money flows through the crypto exchange, it can be frozen…' Regardless of the various forms of cyber crime modus operandis being used, the Gujarat police has improved its recovery ratio to 23% in 2025 — which is a minor increase from 22% recovery rate recorded from January to December 2024 but a significant move of over 50% since 2020. Says Sharma, 'There is a gradual increase. Even a percent of increase is significant in cyber fraud recoveries. In 2020, our recovery was about 11.5% and in 2021, it was around 13%. Now, we have a recovery of 23% in 2025. It is mainly because people know where to reach in case of a cyber crime as in Gujarat, we have taken a lot of efforts to create awareness about the cyber crime helpline number 1930.' Some officers in the helpline team are connected to bank nodal officers who take things forward when anyone becomes a victim of cyber fraud. 'The time is important. The flow of money and withdrawals can be quick. We can actually go to the end of the chain,' says the cyber crime chief. The helpline is manned by '90 outsourced people', which, Sharma claims, is the highest in the country. 'We have 150 personnel in total, which includes about 60 policemen. In many other states, there are about four or five people, which is not enough to attend to calls and follow up with banks. Now, several other states have visited Gujarat to see our 1930 set-up,' he adds. According to him, the helpline is never busy because of the number of people manning it and victims get a call back immediately, and the complaint is processed in real time on the NCCRP. The victim gets an SMS when the money is traced and frozen. What has made it easier is the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directives to banks to form quick response teams. 'Time and again there are meetings between stakeholders to make responses quick… Earlier, banks did not have the mechanism or a response team for cyber frauds so they could not update but now, even banks have dedicated teams, regionally and centrally, and they willingly coordinate. Now, we are striving to increase the refund amount. Earlier, these matters were taken up in Lok Adalats. Now, it is done as a regular court hearing in almost all districts of the state. So, the amount that is going back to the victims is higher…,' he adds.
India Gazette
14-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Gujarat CM Patel launches two portals to strengthen Gujarat Police's crime-fighting capabilities
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 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)
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Indian Express
Gujarat govt launches portal to expedite cyber crime refunds, mobile app to unfreeze bank accounts
In a step to facilitate victims of crime, especially cyber crime, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday launched two online portals and a mobile application of the state Home Department. CM Patel launched the statewide Cyber Crime Refund Portal, 'Tera Tujhko Arpan', to expedite cyber crime refunds to citizens. Beside, an application called 'Unfreeze' has been introduced for people whose bank accounts had been frozen after they were used without their knowledge for a financial transaction in cybercrime cases. With the help of this app, such citizens can virtually unfreeze their bank accounts, without needing to appear in person before the police. Besides, the CM launched the i-Pragati portal, which will generate timely and accurate updates of investigation of cases after the filing of an FIR, including the panchnama, arrest of the accused, chargesheet and other processes. Speaking at the event, Minister of State, Home, Harsh Sanghavi said that Gujarat police had not only 'set a path' for other states to follow in cases of accounts frozen for cyber crime but was also the top state to refund cyber crime amounts to victims. Sanghavi said, 'The entire pattern of crime has changed in present times. The biggest challenge in the future is cyber crime and so, in order to ensure that people know where to go and how to have their money recovered, these steps have been taken… Gujarat is the only state in the country to show a path to the other states… If there has been a financial fraud with a person holding Rs 500 crore of clean, honest money in an account then it is unfair that the entire account is frozen because of a transfer of Rs 10,000 …' Sanghavi said that the Gujarat police, as per the new policy, had unfreezed 2.25 lakh accounts of persons across the country. 'Under the new policy, we have decided that an account, which has more than five complaints against it of an amount of over Rs 5 lakh, will be frozen. Only the amount involved in that particular crime will be frozen and not the rest of the amount held in the account,' he added. Sanghavi said it was a 'misconception' that highly educated people cannot be cheated as most victims of Gujarat hailed from cities, and were from an educated background, as compared to just a few victims of cyber fraud from rural areas. 'The Gujarat police has been the most successful in refunding money lost to cyber crime… Now, to ensure that people do not have to struggle to receive refunds from cyber crime, we are also introducing a hotline number and it will soon be available in one app of Gujarat police,' he said. On Operation Sindoor, Sanghavi said the state government had deployed its anti-drone systems in the border districts to be on standby but they were not required to be used as the armed forces tackled on their own the drones sent by Pakistan. Sanghavi said, 'Last year, the Gujarat government procured an anti-drone system. Now, all states are speaking of anti-drone. But Gujarat police, being proactive, has made limited arrangements for anti-drone systems in city areas, which could be sent to the border areas to be used if needed. But we need to salute our defence forces that none of the state government's anti-drones needed to be used. We do not have the system as big as the defence forces but the decision to buy the anti-drone system has proved right as it can be used in border districts, if needed.' Sanghavi said that a committee is working to prepare an integrated monitoring of CCTV cameras of different departments across the state so that investigation of crime can be even tighter.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Two new portals to boost police efficiency, cybercrime refunds launched
Gandhinagar: Aimed at increasing the state police's ability to combat crime, chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday launched two portals — iPRAGATI and the Cyber Crime Refund portal 'Tera Tujhko Arpan'. In addition, the govt also launched an application to reactivate bank accounts frozen due to financial cybercrime official govt statement said the portals were launched to improve citizen-centric services, build public trust in govt offices, and maximise the use of technology. Citizens will now have access to online services, reducing the need for in-person visits to police the eGujCop system, forms are required to be filled at every stage of an investigation, such as during FIR registration, conducting a panchnama, arresting the accused, and filing the chargesheet. The statement said that a new feature was added to this system, where the complainant automatically receives a system-generated SMS whenever any of these four key stages are iPRAGATI system (Investigation Progress Report through Automatically Generated Accurate and Timely Information) was tested for the past year as a pilot project and has now been rolled out across the the 'Tera Tujhko Arpan' portal, online registration and real-time status tracking ensure a fast and easy refund process, the statement said. In addition, citizens can retrieve money lost in cybercrimes without the need for an FIR, making it a convenient and accessible option for the to the data provided by the state govt, in the last three years (Nov 2020 to Oct 2023), the number of people who became victims of financial cybercrimes rose more than threefold, while the amount of money swindled increased more than eightfold. However, investigating agencies could recover only 21% of the total money swindled by cyber crooks, and the victims got back just 13% of their lost money.
Hans India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Gujarat launches new portals to streamline police services & tackle cybercrime
Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched two digital portals and a mobile application under the Home Department, aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in the state's law enforcement services. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi was also present at the launch event. The initiatives, rolled out statewide, are designed to streamline police procedures and empower citizens with online access to key services, reducing the need for in-person visits to police stations. Among the highlights was the launch of the Cyber Crime Refund Portal, titled 'Tera Tujhko Arpan', which facilitates quick monetary refunds for victims of cyber fraud. First introduced in Ahmedabad in October 2024 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the portal has already demonstrated significant impact, halving the backlog of applications and increasing processing efficiency by 50 per cent. Developed by the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Cell, the system enables online registration, real-time status tracking, and refunds without the need for an FIR. Lok Adalats play a key role in accelerating the refund process. What once took two to three hours at a police station now takes just 15 minutes, thanks to automated refund letters and digital documentation. Following its successful pilot in Ahmedabad, the portal has now been made accessible across all police stations in Gujarat, with unique login credentials and pre-launch training provided to ensure a smooth rollout. The Chief Minister also launched I-PRAGATI, a new SMS-based system integrated into the existing eGujCop portal. It provides automated updates to complainants at four key stages of the investigation process — filing of FIR, panchnama, arrest of the accused, and submission of the charge sheet. Initially piloted by the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB), I-PRAGATI has now been implemented statewide. The system not only enhances transparency but also addresses one of the most common grievances among citizens: a lack of timely updates. 'This initiative is part of our commitment to good governance and minimal human interference,' said CM Patel, emphasising the state's push toward digital transformation in policing. Another key development is the Unfreeze Application, which allows citizens to digitally request the unfreezing of bank accounts blocked due to cybercrime complaints filed via the NCRP portal under BNSS 106 (CRPC 102). With this app, users can file requests online, track their progress, and receive email notifications, eliminating the need for physical follow-ups or visits to police stations. The tool aims to empower citizens, reduce procedural delays, and ensure full transparency in the post-incident resolution process. Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister said the adoption of digital tools in law enforcement reflects the use of technology for both citizen welfare and national security. Minister Harsh Sanghvi added that Gujarat is emerging as a model state for citizen-centric policing, particularly in the domain of cybercrime. 'Gujarat Police has already processed over 2.25 lakh bank account unfreezing requests. These platforms now ensure that victims are not only heard but also helped, swiftly and systematically,' he said.
