Cyber-fraud complaints continue to put pressure on police in Bhopal, where residents lost ₹35.31 crore between January 1 and September 30, 2026. Police received 4,179 complaints during the period, while delays in registering e-Zero FIRs remain a concern.
Of 962 e-Zero FIRs forwarded by the state cyber-crime headquarters, 943 were registered as regular FIRs at Bhopal police stations. The threshold for e-Zero FIR registration has also been reduced from ₹1 lakh to ₹25,000, but complaints still far exceed registered cases.
Officials said many victims calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930 are redirected to Dial-112. They receive a token number and may mistake it for an e-Zero FIR number, although it only marks the start of the process.
High complaint volumes delay callbacks
The state cyber-crime headquarters receives 1,500–1,600 complaints daily. 5 teams across Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior call victims to collect the required details. Completing a single case takes 20–30 minutes, meaning around 65% of victims receive callbacks on the same day. Earlier, the figure was about 29%. The headquarters has just 255 personnel.
More than 6,000 e-Zero FIRs had been registered at the state headquarters by August 31 since the system began on December 25, 2025.
SP Pranay Nagvanshi advised victims to call 1930 immediately or submit a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal if the helpline does not connect. He urged them to provide complaint and transaction details to speed up registration.
Specialised cyber teams deployed across 37 stations
Bhopal Police has deployed trained cyber personnel across 37 police stations. 12 stations with more than 500 complaints each are in Category A, with 6 cyber cops per help desk. 23 stations with 100–499 complaints are in Category B, with 4 each. Stations with fewer than 100 complaints, including the Mahila and SC/ST police stations, are in Category C, with 2 each.
Reserve police line personnel are also being assigned to cybercrime investigations. Additional DCP Shailendra Singh Chouhan urged people to be cautious of calls and messages from unknown numbers and report fraud promptly.
Cybercrime figures for Bhopal
- Complaints and FIRs: 2019–2021: 8,614 complaints, around 400 FIRs; 2022: 5,491 and around 70; 2023: 6,087 and around 50; 2024: 6,053 and around 75; 2025: 4,724 and around 60; 2026 to September 30: 4,179 complaints and 943 FIRs.
- Fraud losses: ₹53.42 crore in 2025; ₹35.31 crore in 2026 to September 30.
- Funds frozen: ₹15.54 crore in 2025; ₹14.65 crore in 2026 to September 30.
- Arrests: 152 in 2025; 57 in 2026.
- Refunds to complainants: ₹4.34 crore in 2025; ₹4.56 crore in 2026.
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