Telangana tops in tackling cybercrimes

Hyderabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Telangana has been ranked first in the country in performance in tackling cybercrimes.

In a nationwide PRAGATI review meeting held by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday, Telangana was ranked first overall in nine criteria related to cybercrime performance, said Shikha Goel, Director, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB).

The criteria included: setting up S4C in States/J&K; implementation of e-Zero FIR; Grievance Redressal Module (GRM); Money Restoration Module (MRM) for refunding; Sahyog Portal for takedown of unlawful content; Samanvaya Portal usage statistics; cybercrime hotspots; capacity building of law enforcement officers (CyTrain and Cyber Command); and information, education and communication.

The PMO conducted the PRAGATI review meeting to assess implementation and performance of states in cybercrime as well as utilisation of digital platforms developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

According to Goel, Telangana was applauded for setting up the first S4C, implementing e-Zero FIR and effectively using key I4C portals, including Samanvaya, Sahyog, GRM and MRM.

As part of citizen-centric initiatives, the TGCSB has launched a dedicated helpline number 8712665600 to assist citizens with grievances related to GRM and MRM. Instructional videos explaining the usage and features of these modules have also been published on TGCSB’s official social media handles.

The GRM portal is a secure digital platform to facilitate registration, processing, tracking and resolution of grievances relating to freezing/unfreezing of bank accounts and removal of debit freezes, liens or holds imposed during investigations. It provides a structured mechanism for coordination between law enforcement agencies and financial intermediaries, including banks and payment institutions, enabling timely disposal of grievances under applicable legal provisions.

The MRM is a secure platform that facilitates the restoration of frozen cyber fraud proceeds to victims through coordinated action between law enforcement agencies and financial intermediaries. Victims can directly claim refunds up to Rs 50,000 per transaction without requiring an FIR or court order, subject to guidelines.

For amounts exceeding Rs 50,000, restoration is processed based on an FIR and court order. The module streamlines the restoration process, enhances transparency and ensures timely return of recoverable funds to victims.

–IANS

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