NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office summoned the telecommunications secretary on Nov 14 to explain how officials ordered the takedown of more than 100 websites based on fake court orders, two government officials said.
The intervention from Modi’s office signals intensifying scrutiny after Reuters reported on Nov 11 that telecom officials directed internet providers to block 129 illegal betting websites based on fake High Court orders which were e-mailed to officials by people posing as lawyers.
While online betting is illegal in India, the case has raised concerns that a lack of safeguards in India’s content-takedown system could allow falsified court documents to be used to block legitimate websites.
The findings have triggered a criminal investigation by state police into potential forgery and cheating by unidentified people.
Modi’s office summoned Telecoms Secretary Amit Agrawal to appear and explain the lapse, cutting short Agrawal’s trip to another state, said the two government officials with knowledge of the matter.
Agrawal is the most senior bureaucrat in the telecommunications ministry, which oversees everyone from big telecom operators to internet providers.
“The action taken by the Department of Telecommunications against betting accounts was carried out through the relevant field officers,” one of the officials said.
Agrawal, his ministry and Modi’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
