India’s government directed internet service providers to block 129 betting websites using two purported high court orders that were later found to be fraudulent, according to a Reuters investigation reported by Economic Times. The discovery has prompted a police investigation and raised questions about how forged legal documents entered the official online content-removal process.
The two blocking directions were issued by the Department of Telecommunications on July 21 and September 2. Both were uploaded on the department’s website with copies of court orders that purportedly came from the Rajasthan High Court and the Allahabad High Court.
A Reuters review found that neither order appeared in the courts’ online registration records. The registrar of the Rajasthan High Court told the news agency by email that the document bearing the court’s name appeared to be fraudulent and did not exist on its server.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court determined that its purported order was fake and filed a police complaint on November 6, according to case documents reviewed by Reuters. The complaint names unknown persons and alleges offences including forgery and cheating. Ghanshyam Yadav, a senior state cybercrime official, told Reuters that the order was not genuine and that no arrests had been made.
The first purported order affected 34 betting websites. It was sent to the telecoms department by email at 8:59 p.m. on July 19 and was attributed to Aryan Chaudhary, described as an advocate-on-record. A query sent by Reuters to the email address used in the correspondence bounced back because the recipient could not be found.
The document carried blue court seals with the national emblem and instructed that its directions be implemented within 24 hours. It invoked a provision of Indian information-technology law that permits website blocking in the interest of national security. Two days after receiving it, the government directed internet providers to remove access to the listed websites.
The second purported order, attributed to the Allahabad High Court, affected 95 betting websites. It included the court’s logo, seal and a QR code presented as a verification mechanism. However, the code led to a random webpage displaying a one-line case number. The same case number appeared in correspondence from an individual identifying himself as advocate Kartikey Pandey.
The order was issued under the name of Justice Garima Prashad. Police registration documents reviewed by Reuters state that the judge’s office confirmed that no such order had been passed. The telecoms department did not respond to Reuters’ questions about how the documents were received or why the directions remained available on its website.
The episode comes amid wider concerns about the authenticity of digitally circulated legal documents. India’s Supreme Court in July set aside tribunal orders that relied on non-existent judgments. The court has also previously described forged judicial documents as serious criminal acts that threaten public trust.
The case has implications beyond illegal betting websites. Government takedown directions can affect the online presence of companies, organisations and individuals, while internet providers generally depend on the authenticity of the official instructions sent to them. The investigation now underway is expected to establish who created the documents, how they passed through the administrative process and whether any government systems were compromised.
