PMO summons telecom secretary over fake court orders
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office has summoned Telecom Secretary Amit Agrawal over the blocking of 129 betting websites on fake court orders. The issue came to light after Reuters reported that telecom officials ordered internet service providers to block these sites based on bogus High Court orders. These orders were sent via email by individuals impersonating lawyers.
Legal scrutiny
Investigations into the matter
The case has raised concerns about the lack of safeguards in India's content-takedown system, which could allow fake court documents to block legitimate websites.
An internal investigation by the telecoms ministry is underway, and state police are investigating possible forgery.
The findings have also triggered a criminal investigation by state police against unknown persons for forgery and cheating.
Official response
Agrawal's trip cut short by PMO
Modi's office has cut short Agrawal's trip to another state, asking him to explain the lapse, according to the report, which cited two unnamed government officials familiar with the matter.
As the senior-most bureaucrat in the telecommunications ministry, he oversees telecom operators and internet service providers.
However, neither Agrawal nor his ministry has responded to queries from Reuters on this matter.
Global implications
Global concerns raised due to this incident
The incident has raised global concerns about court precedents generated using artificial intelligence.
India's Supreme Court recently set aside tribunal orders based on non-existent judgments, and a US judge disqualified lawyers for using fabricated legal citations.
The fake court orders were publicly available on the Department of Telecommunications's website for months, along with correspondence showing government officials ordering website removals.