Hyderabad police launch C-Mitra to enable cybercrime FIRs from home

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the Hyderabad City Police on Friday (January 9), launched C-Mitra, a virtual help desk aimed at assisting victims of cybercrime in registering First Information Reports (FIRs) without having to visit a police station.

Commissioner of Police, V.C. Sajjanar, said that the initiative was designed to provide quicker relief to victims of cyber frauds such as OTP scams, digital arrest frauds and investment and trading scams, which have seen a sharp rise. Describing C-Mitra as a virtual police officer, he said the system uses technology to bring essential policing services directly to citizens.

The service is available exclusively to residents within the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate limits.

Victims are required to first report the fraud through the 1930 helpline or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. After this, virtual police officers from the C-Mitra team contact the complainant and, with the help of artificial intelligence tools, prepare a legally sound complaint based on the details provided. The draft complaint is then sent to the victim, who must sign and submit a physical copy either by post, courier or through a drop box at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Basheerbagh. An FIR is registered after receipt of the signed copy and details are shared with the complainant through SMS. Officials said options for digital signatures are being explored.

To streamline investigations, the police have introduced a case categorisation system under C-Mitra. Cases involving losses above ₹3 lakh will be registered and investigated by the Cyber Crime Police Station, while cases involving losses below ₹3 lakh will be registered as Zero FIRs and transferred to the respective local law and order police stations.

Police said physical registration of an FIR currently takes around three hours and that C-Mitra is expected to save time for both citizens and station staff. At present, only about 18 per cent of cybercrime complaints are converted into FIRs, a figure the department aims to raise significantly through this initiative.

The virtual help desk will function between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and is manned by a 24-member team.

To prevent misuse and impersonation, the police said official calls would be made only from a designated landline number and WhatsApp messages only from verified number series. Staff will not seek OTPs or ask for money. The police clarified that C-Mitra only facilitates FIR registration and does not investigate cases, offer legal advice or guarantee recovery of funds.