Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate Bharatpol, a state-of-the-art digital platform developed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Tuesday in Delhi. The platform is set to revolutionize how Indian law enforcement agencies (LEAs) interact with international counterparts, enabling real-time information sharing and faster processing of international assistance requests in criminal matters.
Bharatpol, designed to be a “paperless” system, will facilitate seamless coordination between police forces of states and union territories, as well as central agencies. The platform will significantly improve the efficiency of sending requests for assistance, such as red notices, and responding to queries from international agencies.
According to the Union Home Ministry, “Bharatpol portal will significantly facilitate Indian LEAs, enabling real-time information sharing for faster access to international police assistance.”
CBI’s Role as India’s Interpol Liaison
The CBI, as the National Central Bureau (NCB) for Interpol in India, coordinates all international requests for law enforcement, including fugitive tracking, evidence collection, extradition, and deportation. Communication between CBI and state-level agencies has traditionally relied on letters, emails, and faxes, often leading to delays in critical cases.
Bharatpol aims to address these inefficiencies by creating a centralized, digital communication hub accessible through the CBI’s official website.
The need for a platform like Bharatpol has grown as transnational crimes such as cybercrime, financial fraud, online radicalization, drug trafficking, and human trafficking become more prevalent. In 2023, CBI’s Global Operation Centre handled 17,368 international assistance requests and facilitated 100 red notices—the highest ever issued by Interpol for Indian law enforcement in a single year.
“Bharatpol will become a transformative tool for field-level police officers, enhancing their efficiency in dealing with crimes and security challenges,” the Home Ministry stated.
Key Features of Bharatpol
The portal will enable:
- Real-time processing of international assistance requests through Interpol.
- Streamlined issuance of various color-coded Interpol notices, including red, yellow, blue, black, green, orange, and purple notices.
- A common platform for stakeholders at central, state, and union territory levels, ensuring faster resolution of cases.
A Visionary Initiative
The idea for Bharatpol was approved by CBI Director Praveen Sood last year to address delays caused by traditional methods of communication.
An official involved in the project remarked, “Due to back-and-forth letters between CBI and states’ police on their international assistance requests, matters were often delayed. Bharatpol is set to eliminate these bottlenecks.”
Transforming International Cooperation
By facilitating faster and easier access to international assistance, Bharatpol is expected to significantly strengthen India’s efforts to combat transnational crime. As law enforcement agencies face increasingly sophisticated threats, platforms like Bharatpol are crucial in ensuring timely responses and fostering global cooperation.
The launch of Bharatpol represents a major leap forward in modernizing India’s approach to international policing and criminal investigations.