Modi summons telecom secretary over website takedowns, sources say

New Delhi, on November 14, saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi summon the telecommunications secretary to address the issue of over 100 websites being taken down due to fraudulent court orders, according to government sources. The summons indicated a growing concern over the matter, which came to light after Reuters revealed that telecom officials had directed internet providers to block 129 illegal betting websites based on non-existent High Court orders.

These orders were allegedly sent to officials by individuals posing as lawyers. While online betting is prohibited in India, the incident has sparked worries about the potential misuse of falsified court documents to block legitimate websites. This has led to one criminal investigation by state police for forgery and cheating. The telecommunications secretary, Amit Agrawal, was cut short from his trip to another state to explain the lapse in the matter to Modi's office.

Agrawal, the senior-most bureaucrat in the telecommunications ministry, oversees various aspects of the telecom sector, including operators and internet providers. However, neither Agrawal nor Modi's office responded to queries from Reuters. The Department of Telecommunications had implemented the takedowns through field officers, according to a source.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a tribunal's order that relied on nonexistent judgments, while a US judge recently barred lawyers for using fabricated legal citations. Reuters reported on Friday that the telecoms ministry has initiated an internal investigation into the alleged fraud, and police have sought ministry records as part of a criminal investigation.

Two of the fake court orders revealed by Reuters were still visible on the government's website on Saturday, while another had been removed.