NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah will on Tuesday launch Bharatpol portal to streamline the processing of requests by the country’s law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for international assistance, through Interpol, in criminal matters. This shall include requests for issuance of ‘Red’ and other colour-coded notices against fugitives wanted for crimes committed in India.
Stating that the Narendra Modi govt had launched several important initiatives to empower the country’s law enforcement agencies, the home ministry in a release said Bharatpol — developed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI ) — will significantly facilitate Indian LEAs by enabling sharing of information in real time, for faster access to international police assistance.
Shah will launch the Bharatpol module alongside the CBI Investiture ceremony here, during which he will present police medals to 35 CBI officers honoured with the President’s Police Medals and Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation.
CBI, as the national Central bureau for Interpol in India, facilitates international cooperation in criminal matters in collaboration with agencies across the country, including LEAs. At the Central, state, and Union Territory levels, this coordination is executed through INTERPOL liaison officers (ILOs), who are further linked to unit officers (UO’s) at the level of superintendents of police (SPs), commissioners of police (CPs) and branch heads, within their respective organisations. Presently, communications among the CBI, ILOs, and UOs primarily relies on letters, emails and faxes, which often translates into slower response.
“The growing footprint of transnational crimes including cyber-crime, financial crimes, online radicalisation, organized crimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking etc, necessitates rapid and real-time international assistance in criminal investigations. To address this challenge, CBI has developed Bharatpol portal, accessible through its official website, which will bring all the stakeholders on a common platform,” said an MHA spokesperson.
The Bharatpol portal, apart from ensuring seamless and real-time international cooperation in criminal investigations via INTERPOL, promises to become a transformative tool for field-level police officers, enhancing their efficiency in dealing with crimes and security challenges. “By facilitating easier and faster access to international assistance, it will strengthen India’s efforts in combating transnational crimes,” the home ministry noted in its statement.
Several dignitaries and senior officers from ministry of external affairs, MHA, department of personnel and training (DoPT), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Central police organisations will be attending the Bharatpol launch event.
