Which police station handles UPI fraud in Kolkata

By Advocate Panchanand Shaw, Bar Council of West Bengal · Published 4 Nov 2026 · Court process

Any police station in Kolkata must record your complaint about a UPI fraud, because section 173(1) of the BNSS, 2023 permits information to be given irrespective of where the offence was committed. The station that investigates is the one covering where the loss was suffered or the accused is found.

There is no single police station that handles UPI fraud in Kolkata. Any police station in the city must record your complaint about a cognizable offence, and the station that ultimately investigates will be the one with territorial jurisdiction over where the fraud took effect or where the accused is found. In practice, for a UPI fraud in the Kolkata Police area, most victims file at their local police station, which forwards the case to the specialist cyber crime unit, or they go directly to the cyber crime police station at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar.

The legal change that made this simple is in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Section 173(1) now says that information about a cognizable offence may be given "irrespective of the area where the offence is committed". That removes the excuse a station used to have for sending a victim away on jurisdictional grounds. You can walk into the nearest police station, insist on the complaint being recorded, and let the police work out which unit investigates.

A written complaint in person is stronger than a form, but the BNSS also recognises electronic reporting. Under section 173(1) of the BNSS, 2023 information may be given by electronic communication, and it is taken on record once the person giving it signs it within three days. That means a complaint emailed or submitted online is not wasted, but it is not a completed FIR until it is signed. Following up at the station converts the report into a recorded FIR and closes that gap.

The short answer for a UPI fraud in Kolkata

File at the police station that covers the address where you live or where the account was debited, and tell the officer that this is a financial cyber fraud requiring urgent action. If the amount is significant, or the accused is unknown and possibly outside West Bengal, the file should end up with the cyber crime unit rather than being handled locally. Kolkata Police handles cyber offences through its own cyber crime police station at Lalbazar, and the local station is expected to pass the complaint on to the divisional cyber cell.

You do not lose anything by filing at the nearest station first. Under section 173(1) of the BNSS the officer in charge must record the information, and under section 173(2) you are entitled to a free copy of the recorded FIR. That copy is your proof that you reported, and its date and time matter to both the investigation and your bank claim.

Why the zero FIR rule matters to a fraud victim

A zero FIR is the name practice has given to an FIR registered at a station that does not have territorial jurisdiction, given the serial number zero and later transferred to the station that does. The BNSS does not use the phrase, but section 173(1) gives it statutory force by permitting information to be given irrespective of where the offence was committed. The receiving station must record it, give you a free copy, take any urgent step the situation needs, and forward it.

For a UPI fraud this is decisive. The money can be withdrawn within hours, and every hour spent being redirected between police stations is an hour in which the trail goes cold. If an officer tells you to go to another station because the offence happened elsewhere, the correct response is to ask that the information be recorded as a zero FIR and transferred.

One procedural step to expect is the preliminary enquiry. Under section 173(3) of the BNSS, 2023, where the information concerns an offence punishable with three years or more but less than seven years, the officer in charge may, with the prior permission of an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, hold a preliminary enquiry to see whether a prima facie case exists. That enquiry must be completed within fourteen days. Cheating that carries a higher punishment does not fall in this band, so the officer is expected to proceed to investigation without that filter.

Which station actually has jurisdiction

Jurisdiction for investigation is decided by where the offence was committed and where its effects were felt. In a UPI fraud the effect is felt where the victim's account was debited and where the victim was when the payment was made. Courts have taken a practical view, treating a cyber offence as connected to the place where the victim operated the account or suffered the loss, even when the fraudster or the beneficiary account is elsewhere in the country. The accused's own location can also support jurisdiction.

Your situation	Where to file
You live within Kolkata Police limits	Your local police station, which forwards to the divisional cyber cell, or the cyber crime police station at Lalbazar
You were outside Kolkata when you paid, but the account is a Kolkata account	The station covering your bank branch or your residence; a zero FIR may be registered elsewhere and transferred
You live in Salt Lake, New Town or the Bidhannagar area	The police station for that area, under its own commissionerate, which has its own cyber crime unit
The fraud spans several districts or involves a large network	The state-level cyber crime unit under the CID, to which the local case can be referred
The accused appears to be abroad	Any station or the cyber portal; the case is then handled through central agencies

The specialised cyber units, and when they take over

Kolkata Police

The Kolkata Police cyber crime police station sits at the force headquarters in Lalbazar. It is staffed for technical work such as tracing IP addresses, examining devices, coordinating with banks and telecom providers, and sending preservation requests to platforms. Serious financial frauds and cases where the accused is unknown usually reach this unit, whether directly or through the local station.

Outside Kolkata Police limits

West Bengal's other police commissionerates and districts have their own cyber crime arrangements. A resident of a district who is defrauded pays at the same place as everyone else: the local police station, with escalation to the district cyber cell. Because the zero FIR rule applies across the state, a district resident can also file in Kolkata and have the case transferred.

State and national level

Where the fraud spans districts, involves a large mule-account network or a foreign element, the case is referred to the state cyber crime unit and, if necessary, coordinated with central agencies. For the victim, nothing changes about where to start: the first FIR is still registered at a police station or through the national portal.

Police advisories in Kolkata lay heavy stress on what they call the golden hour. Their guidance is to call the 1930 helpline first, because the faster a fraudulent transaction is flagged, the better the chance of freezing the money before it leaves the chain, and to have the bank name, the twelve-digit transaction reference, the amount and the date ready before the call. The station complaint comes next, and it is the record that the bank will eventually want.

What to carry to the station

Your identity proof and a written complaint, signed and dated, describing the facts in order.
The bank statement showing the disputed debit, and the UPI transaction ID and the RRN.
A screenshot of the payment confirmation and the UPI app transaction history.
The SMS and email alerts generated by the bank for the debit.
The complaint reference from the 1930 helpline call and the acknowledgement from cybercrime.gov.in.
The beneficiary UPI ID, account number or merchant details, if you have them.
Any call log, chat or recording connected to the inducement.

Steps if the station refuses to register

Ask for the refusal in writing. An oral refusal is not enough to build a record.
Send the substance of the complaint in writing by post to the Superintendent of Police, under section 173(4) of the BNSS, 2023. That provision allows an aggrieved person to send the substance of the information to the SP, who must either investigate or direct an investigation.
Move the magistrate. Section 175(3) of the BNSS, 2023 allows a magistrate to direct an investigation where the police have not acted on a complaint.
Consider the High Court. A writ petition before the Calcutta High Court seeking a direction to register the FIR and investigate is available where the refusal is unjustified.
Keep pursuing the bank in parallel, because the liability clock under the RBI framework runs on the complaint, not on the FIR.

Where the bank fits into the file

Banks usually want a police reference before they process a reversal or a chargeback, and many branch staff will ask for an FIR number. You can start the process without one by reporting to the bank's nodal officer immediately and quoting the complaint reference you receive from the helpline. The written complaint at the police station then adds the diary number, and the FIR follows if the police register it. Escalation to the RBI Ombudsman is available if the bank does not credit a legitimate claim within the applicable period.

What decides the outcome

Speed of registration: the earlier the complaint is recorded, the better the chance of freezing the beneficiary account.
Completeness of identifiers: the UTR, transaction ID, UPI ID and beneficiary account details drive the trace.
The right unit: a case that reaches the cyber unit early moves faster than one handled only as a local complaint.
The paper trail: a free copy of the FIR under section 173(2), and a written complaint with a diary number, are what force the system to respond.
Persistence: the escalation routes in sections 173(4) and 175(3) exist because refusals are common enough to need a remedy.

Common mistakes

Accepting a verbal "go to another station" and leaving without a recording or a written refusal.
Waiting for the FIR before telling the bank, when the bank's nodal officer can act at once.
Filing only on the portal and assuming an FIR has been registered, which it has not.
Filing in the district where the fraudster's account is, when jurisdiction also supports filing where you suffered the loss.
Approaching the Lalbazar cyber unit for a matter that belongs to a district commissionerate, which only adds delay.

When to involve a lawyer

A lawyer becomes useful when the police will not register the FIR, when the amount is large enough to justify a sustained civil and criminal effort, or when a case has been registered against you rather than on your complaint. An advocate can draft a complaint that the station cannot easily refuse, make the application under section 175(3), and move the Calcutta High Court if necessary. For a UPI fraud in Kolkata, you can contact the office to work out the sequence. More on Bengal-specific forums is on the West Bengal cyber law page, and you may find the general guide to filing and escalation helpful in the articles section.

What a victim should take away is that the search for the one correct police station is unnecessary. The law tells every station to record your complaint. The work after that is simply to make sure the right unit has the file and the bank has your reference number.

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Frequently asked questions

Which police station should I go to for a UPI fraud in Kolkata?

Go to the police station covering your residence or the bank branch where the money was debited. Any station in Kolkata must record the complaint, because section 173(1) of the BNSS, 2023 allows information to be given irrespective of where the offence was committed. Serious cases are then forwarded to the cyber crime unit at Lalbazar.

What is a zero FIR and does it apply to UPI fraud?

A zero FIR is an FIR registered at a police station that does not have territorial jurisdiction, numbered zero and later transferred to the station that investigates. Section 173(1) of the BNSS gives the practice statutory force for cognizable offences, and a UPI fraud with cheating is cognizable, so it applies.

Can I file a UPI fraud complaint at any police station in India?

Yes, where the information discloses a cognizable offence. Section 173(1) of the BNSS, 2023 allows the information to be given irrespective of the area where the offence was committed, and the receiving station must record it rather than direct you elsewhere. The case is then transferred to the station having territorial jurisdiction.

Where is the cyber crime police station in Kolkata?

The Kolkata Police cyber crime police station is at the force headquarters in Lalbazar. It handles technical investigation such as tracing transactions and devices, coordinating with banks and telecom providers, and sending preservation requests to platforms. Victims can go there directly, but a local station complaint is equally valid and is usually forwarded to the divisional cyber cell.

What if the police refuse to register my UPI fraud complaint?

Ask for the refusal in writing, then send the substance of the complaint by post to the Superintendent of Police under section 173(4) of the BNSS, 2023. If that fails, apply to the magistrate under section 175(3), which allows a magistrate to direct an investigation. A writ petition before the Calcutta High Court is also available.

Do I need an FIR number for the bank to reverse a UPI fraud?

Banks often ask for a police reference before processing a reversal, but you should not wait for an FIR to notify them. Report to the bank's nodal officer at once and quote the complaint reference from the 1930 helpline. The written complaint at the station then gives a diary number, and the FIR follows if the police register it.

Should I file in the district where the fraudster's account is?

Not necessarily. Jurisdiction also supports filing where you suffered the loss or where your account was debited, which is usually more convenient and often where the effect of the offence was felt. Because of the zero FIR rule, a complaint filed anywhere can be transferred to the appropriate station for investigation.

How fast should I report a UPI fraud to the police?

Immediately. The chance of freezing the beneficiary account is highest in the first hours, and the RBI liability framework on unauthorised electronic transactions works on the same clock. Report to the 1930 helpline and the cyber portal first, then go to the police station with a written complaint and the transaction identifiers.

Information for general guidance only and not legal advice. Provisions cited follow the Information Technology Act 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023.

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