New Delhi, January 7
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch ‘Bharatpol’ portal developed by the CBI on January 7 that will allow state police and other central law enforcement agencies real-time information sharing for faster access to international police.
The MHA said that Bharatpol has been designed as the new cutting-edge online platform that will allow police forces of states and Union Territories and central agencies to seamlessly send their requests seeking information from Interpol on fugitives holed abroad or other affairs, officials said.
The need to develop rapid and real-time international assistance in criminal investigations was felt due to the growing footprint of transnational crimes including cyber-crime, financial crimes, online radicalization, organised crimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking etc., officials from MHA added.
The MHA informed, “At the central, state, and Union Territory levels, this coordination is executed through Interpol Liaison Officers (ILOs), who are further linked to Unit Officers (UOs) at the level of Superintendents of Police, Commissioners of Police and Branch Heads, within their respective organisations. Presently, communications among the CBI, ILOs, and UOs primarily rely on letters, emails and faxes”.
The portal will be accessible through its official website, which will bring all the stakeholders on a common platform streamlining the processing of all requests for international assistance through Interpol, including the issuance of Red Notices and other colour-coded Interpol notices.
“The Bharatpol portal will 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 officials further noted.
The project designed and executed by the CBI will cut avoidable delays and result in getting more notices published through Interpol in the future, an officer in the know of developments said.
Since 2021, as many as 100 wanted criminals, including 26 in 2024, have been returned to India through coordination via Interpol channels.
