129 Betting Sites Blocked on Two Forged High Court Orders
Two blocking directions to internet providers rested on orders the Rajasthan and Allahabad High Courts did not issue; no one has been arrested yet.
Image: Reuters
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) told internet providers in July and September to block 129 betting websites on the strength of two High Court orders that turned out to be fake, Reuters reported on Wednesday, 11 November. The Allahabad High Court filed a police complaint on 6 November, and a cybercrime case for forgery and cheating has been opened against unknown persons, according to police case documents cited by Reuters.
Blocks Still Listed on the DoT Website
Betting is illegal in India, so the sites themselves were not the issue. What Reuters questioned is the paperwork behind the blocks. The DoT’s two directions, dated 21 July and 2 September, were still posted on its website on Wednesday. Reuters said the department did not reply to its questions, and it did not report whether any of the 129 sites has been unblocked since.
Ghanshyam Yadav, a senior Uttar Pradesh cybercrime official, told Reuters the Allahabad order “is fake” and not a genuine order of the High Court. No arrests have been made. Reuters could not establish who made the orders, how they were produced, or whether AI was used.
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Two Courts, Two Emailed Orders
The first order, attributed to the Rajasthan High Court, reached the DoT by email at 8:59 pm on Sunday, 19 July. Two days later, on 21 July, the department told providers to block 34 betting websites. The court’s registrar told Reuters in an email that the order “appears to be fraudulent” and is not on the court’s server. Reuters said an email sent to the advocate named on the order bounced.
The second order carried the Allahabad High Court’s logo and seal, was dated 14 August and was sent to officials on 22 August. It cited the case number Writ-A 30480/2026, and its QR code led to a page showing only that number. On 2 September, an official told providers to block 95 sites. Reuters said neither order appears in the courts’ online case records.
Police Inquiry Is Open
The Uttar Pradesh investigation is continuing. Reuters did not say whether the DoT will review the two directions or how it checks that court orders sent to it by email are genuine. Separately, Delhi Police has registered an FIR over forged notices used to seek the blocking of X accounts of two civil rights groups, according to the Pioneer’s account of the report.
IPB News has covered earlier orders from the Allahabad High Court, including the stay on a murder conviction of a man eyeing the 2027 UP polls.
Source: Based on reporting by Business Standard (Reuters) and The Pioneer.
Image: Reuters.
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