Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) directed police to register an FIR and recommended Rs 10,000 compensation for a cyber fraud victim, holding that police inaction violated human rights after a woman allegedly lost Rs 97,631 in an online UPI scam and received no timely legal action.
The Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) has recommended the immediate registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and payment of Rs 10,000 as compensation to a woman who alleged that police failed to take timely legal action after she lost Rs 97,631 in a cyber fraud. The Commission observed that the inaction of the police amounted to a violation of the complainant’s human rights and directed the authorities to ensure compliance within a specified time frame.
The recommendation was issued after the Commission, headed by Justice Arindam Lodh, examined a complaint filed by Surabhi Mukherjee, who claimed she became a victim of an online financial fraud on October 17, 2025. According to the complaint, fraudsters posing as officials of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) contacted her and persuaded her to transfer Rs 97,631 through UPI transactions.
Mukherjee stated that the amount represented the proceeds from the sale of her grandmother’s gold ornaments. Immediately after realizing that she had been cheated, she contacted the national cyber crime helpline 1930 and received an acknowledgement of her complaint. On the same day, she also submitted a written complaint to West Agartala Police Station along with transaction details, screenshots of chats, and call records to support her allegations.
However, the complainant alleged that despite repeated visits and requests, neither West Agartala Police Station nor the Cyber Crime Police Station at A.D. Nagar registered an FIR. She further claimed that police officials informed her that the money was unlikely to be recovered and no meaningful investigation was initiated.
Taking cognizance of the complaint, the Tripura Human Rights Commission sought a detailed report from the Director General of Police (DGP), Tripura, regarding the action taken by the police.
In its response, the police informed the Commission that a preliminary inquiry had established that the complainant transferred the money after being induced by cyber fraudsters while attempting to resolve what she believed was an unauthorised transaction. The report further stated that the money had been transferred to bank accounts maintained with Jio Payments Bank and HDFC Bank.
According to the police report, requests had already been sent to the concerned banks seeking Know Your Customer (KYC) details, transaction records, and IP address information linked to the accounts involved in the alleged fraud. The report added that efforts to identify the persons responsible for the cyber crime were continuing.
The police also contended that no cognisable offence had initially been established. They claimed that the complainant was later approached to lodge a formal FIR but appeared to be primarily interested in recovering the lost money rather than pursuing criminal proceedings.
The Commission, however, rejected this explanation. It observed that the police themselves had acknowledged during the preliminary inquiry that the complainant had fallen victim to cyber fraud. Once such facts indicating the commission of a cognisable offence came to the notice of law enforcement authorities, registration of an FIR became mandatory under law.
The THRC further observed that the responsibility of initiating criminal proceedings could not be shifted to the victim. It stated that police authorities were duty-bound to register a case and conduct a proper investigation once credible information about a cognisable offence was available.
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In its recommendations, the Commission directed the investigating officer of the Cyber Crime Police Station to register an FIR suo motu within 15 days. It also recommended payment of Rs 10,000 as compensation to the complainant for the violation of her human rights, with the amount to be paid by the Home Department through the office of the Director General of Police within three months.
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Additionally, the Commission instructed the Secretary of the Home Department to submit a detailed action taken report within three months. The matter has been listed for further consideration before the Commission on October 7, when compliance with its recommendations will be reviewed. The case highlights the importance of prompt police action in cyber crime complaints and reinforces the legal obligation of law enforcement agencies to register FIRs in cases involving cognisable offences.
