The Prime Minister's office has called in Telecom Secretary Amit Agrawal to explain how officials shut down over 100 websites using fake court orders. Two government officials confirmed the summons on November 14. Agrawal had to cut short a visit to another state.
The orders told internet companies to cut off 129 betting websites. A Reuters investigation found that the court papers were forged.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) received the orders by email. The senders posed as lawyers. The papers carried the names of the Rajasthan and Allahabad High Courts.
Police and court officials checked them and found they were fake. The logos and seals were made up. One paper even had a false QR code.
The orders and related letters sat on the DoT website for months. As of November 14, one fake order was still open for anyone to read. The other had been taken down.
Online betting is illegal in India. But the case shows a big gap in the way the government shuts down sites. If officials do not check papers well, anyone can use a forged order to hit a site that has done nothing wrong.
A special probe has been initiated by the telecom ministry into how the orders were processed. It will also determine if additional checks should be done before any shutdown.
The state police have registered a case of forgery and cheating against unidentified individuals. They have sought the records of the ministry to see how the forged documents were processed.
The latest case is adding to the concern over the issue of fake legal documents. In July, the Supreme Court struck down orders issued by a tribunal based on non-existent court cases. No response was received from Agrawal, the ministry, and the Prime Minister’s Office.
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The investigation is set to follow how the forged orders made their way into the system. It will also test whether the checks currently in place are enough. Right now, the DoT is facing tough questions as to how a couple of emails could change how millions view things online.