In a pioneering move aimed at strengthening cybercrime response, the Hyderabad City Police on Friday launched ‘C-Mitra’ (Cyber-Mitra), a virtual help desk that allows victims of cyber fraud to register First Information Reports (FIRs) from their homes. The initiative is the first of its kind in the country and is designed to ease the distress faced by citizens who fall prey to online crimes.

Hyderabad Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar described C-Mitra as a “virtual police officer” that uses technology to deliver police services directly to the public. The system is intended to support victims of various cyber offences, including OTP frauds, digital arrest scams, investment frauds and online trading scams. Many victims hesitate or delay filing FIRs due to lack of legal knowledge or the time required to visit police stations, a gap that C-Mitra aims to bridge.

The service is available exclusively to residents within the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate limits. Victims must first report the incident by calling the 1930 cybercrime helpline or by registering a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Once the complaint is logged, virtual police officers from the C-Mitra team contact the victim, gather details and use Artificial Intelligence tools to draft a clear and legally accurate complaint. The draft is then sent to the complainant for verification and signature.

After signing the complaint, victims are required to submit a physical copy either by post, courier or through a drop box available at the Cyber Crime Police Station at Basheerbagh. Upon receipt of the signed complaint, the police will formally register the FIR and send the FIR details to the victim through SMS. Officials said that while physical signatures are currently mandatory, options for digital signatures are being explored for future implementation.

To streamline investigations, cases involving losses above Rs 3 lakh will be registered and handled directly by the Cyber Crime Police Station. Cases involving losses below Rs 3 lakh will be registered as Zero FIRs and transferred to the respective local law and order police stations for further action.

Police officials said that physical FIR registration typically takes around three hours and C-Mitra is expected to significantly reduce this time. At present, only 18 percent of cyber complaints convert into FIRs, and the department has set a target of achieving a 100 percent conversion rate. The virtual help desk will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a 24-member team. The Commissioner also appreciated senior officers and staff for their role in launching the initiative.