# Government Blocks Websites Based on Fraudulent High Court Orders Authorities issued takedown directives for betting sites using forged judicial documents. - **Source:** [Scroll.in](https://scroll.in) - **Published:** 2026-11-11 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/ae29694a-cc84-414a-a853-763e1f9b689a ## Unauthorized Website Takedowns The Indian Union government issued official directions to block 129 illegal betting websites throughout this year. These directives were based on two specific High Court orders that were later discovered to be entirely fraudulent. The Department of Telecommunications published these instructions on July 21 and September 2, citing purported judicial mandates. ## Fake Judicial Documentation The directives were accompanied by copies of purported orders from the Rajasthan High Court and the Allahabad High Court. These documents included official-looking logos, seals, and QR codes designed to mimic authentic legal filings. However, these specific orders do not exist within the official online registration records of either High Court. ## Verification of Fraud The Rajasthan High Court registrar confirmed the order bearing its name appears fraudulent and does not exist on their internal servers. Similarly, the Allahabad High Court explicitly stated that the order attributed to them was fake. These confirmations highlight a significant breach in the verification process used for issuing government website blocks. ## Technical Discrepancies Found The forged Allahabad High Court order featured a QR code intended to validate the document's authenticity. While some reports suggested the code linked to a case number webpage, independent attempts to access the link proved the code was untraceable. This technical failure served as a primary indicator of the document's lack of legitimacy. ## Official Legal Response Following the discovery of the forgery, the Allahabad High Court took formal action by filing a police complaint on November 6. An official investigation into the incident has been initiated to identify the parties responsible for the forgery. Authorities are now examining how these fake documents bypassed standard administrative verification protocols. ## Administrative Oversight Challenges The Department of Telecommunications published these directives directly on its official website, lending them an air of legitimacy. This incident raises questions regarding the internal vetting procedures for processing court-ordered website takedowns. The reliance on submitted documents without cross-referencing court servers allowed the fraudulent orders to be executed as official policy. ## Broader Security Implications The use of forged judicial documents to manipulate government regulatory actions represents a sophisticated form of administrative fraud. By leveraging the authority of High Courts, the perpetrators successfully compelled the state to act against specific betting platforms. This event underscores the vulnerability of digital governance systems to well-crafted, deceptive legal paperwork. ## Future Regulatory Vigilance The incident necessitates a review of how government departments verify judicial orders before implementing site-blocking measures. Moving forward, stricter authentication protocols between the judiciary and telecommunications regulators are required to prevent similar security lapses. The ongoing police investigation will likely focus on the origin of the forged documents and their distribution. ## Sources covering this story - https://scroll.in/latest/1097032/centre-ordered-website-takedowns-based-on-fake-hc-orders-reports-reuters?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=public — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._