India

India Investigates Telecoms’ Blocking of 129 Betting Sites After Fake Court Orders

By Reuters

Bengaluru, India – India has begun an inquiry into how telecom officials blocked 129 illegal betting websites after Reuters revealed that the directives were based on forged court orders. The orders, allegedly issued in the names of the Rajasthan and Allahabad high courts, were emailed to officials by fraudsters posing as lawyers. The telecoms ministry said it would review its procedures and consider additional checks before acting on court orders for website takedowns. The ministry also plans to revoke the blocking directives issued on the basis of the forged orders and remove related documents from its website. Police have opened a criminal investigation after the Allahabad High Court found that one of the purported orders cited by the ministry had not been issued by the court. The document contained a fabricated court logo, seal and QR code. A cybercrime official in Uttar Pradesh said police had asked the ministry for details of its content management system and digital logs to determine how the forged orders were processed and to identify those responsible. The ministry has not yet responded to queries. Politicians and activists have called for stronger verification of court orders before website takedowns are enforced.