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Journalism of Courage
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘Bharatpol’ portal on Tuesday (January 7), which aims to streamline international cooperation for law investigating agencies.
Bharatpol — broadcast hub for assistance and real-time action against transnational crimes via international police cooperation — was developed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It will allow central and state agencies to easily connect with the Interpol and speed up their investigations.
What is Bharatpol, how will it work, and how will it help various investigating agencies?
The CBI, as National Central Bureau for Interpol (NCB-New Delhi) in India, connects all law enforcement agencies in India to law enforcement agencies in 195 other countries through Interpol. Currently, all central agencies and the police forces of various states and Union Territories coordinate with the CBI, Interpol liaison officers (ILOs), and unit officers concerned through letters, emails, and faxes, due to which they often face delays in their investigation.
With Bharatpol, international police collaboration becomes more seamless.
The decision to develop this portal was taken amid the rise in transnational crimes, including cyber-crime, financial crimes, online radicalisation, organised crimes, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. In such cases, real-time international assistance is needed for criminal investigations.
What are the key features of Bharatpol portal?
There are five key features:
Unified Platform: This portal integrates the CBI as the Interpol (NCB-New Delhi) with all law enforcement authorities in India, down to Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs).
Simplified Request Mechanism: This portal allows front-line police officers to easily and promptly request international assistance from 195 Interpol member countries using standardised templates.
Rapid Information Dissemination: This portal enables the CBI as the NCB to rapidly share criminal intelligence and inputs from 195 countries with all law enforcement agencies in India.
Increase utilisation of Interpol notices: This portal will enable easy drafting of Red Corner Notice requests and other colour coded notices of Interpol. This will lead to effective tracking of crime, criminals and proceeds of crime globally.
Capacity Building and Training: This portal also provides access to relevant documents, templates, and training resources, enhancing the capability of frontline officers to conduct investigations abroad and seek foreign assistance effectively through Interpol.
What did Home Minister Amit Shah say at the launch?
Speaking at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Shah said it was time for Indian investigation agencies to use modern technology and techniques to nab fugitives. “We have to keep an eye on global challenges and update our internal systems. Bharatpol is a step in that direction…The new portal will allow central and state probe agencies to share and obtain information on their cases from the 195 member nations of the Interpol,” he said.
What are the key modules of Bharatpol?
There are five key modules — Connect, INTERPOL Notices, References, Broadcast, and Resources.
“Through Connect, all our law enforcement agencies will essentially function as an extension of Interpol’s NCB-New Delhi. The system will ensure quick, secure, and structured transmission of requests for Interpol Notices, enabling a scientific mechanism to swiftly locate criminals from India and across the globe, within India,” Shah said.
Requests for assistance from the 195 member countries of INTERPOL will be available on the Broadcast module, while the Resources module will make it easy to exchange and manage documents and resources.
