The Central Government blocked 129 gambling-related websites after receiving two purported High Court orders that have now been found to be forged, according to an investigation by Reuters.

The fabricated orders, allegedly issued by the Rajasthan High Court and the Allahabad High Court, were submitted to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to obtain directions requiring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block the websites.

Acting on the emailed copies of these purported judicial orders, the DoT issued blocking directions on July 21 and September 2. However, subsequent verification by the two High Courts revealed that neither order had been issued or registered in their official records.

The incident has raised concerns about the fabrication of judicial documents using artificial intelligence and forged court seals, as well as the verification process followed by government authorities before issuing website-blocking directions.

According to Reuters, both fabricated orders carried blue seals bearing the national emblem, resembling those used on genuine court documents.

Fake Rajasthan High Court Order Led To Blocking Of 34 Websites

The purported Rajasthan High Court order was emailed to the DoT at 8:59 pm on July 19, directing the department to take action within 24 hours. It bore the signature of a person identified as 'Aryan Chaudhary', who claimed to be an 'Advocate-on-Record'.

The Rajasthan High Court subsequently confirmed that the document was forged and that no such order existed on its servers. The court is also considering legal action in connection with the incident.

Relying on the purported order, the DoT issued directions to internet companies on July 21 to block 34 betting websites.

Allahabad High Court Finds Order Seeking Blocking Of 95 Websites To Be Forged

In the second instance, a fabricated order dated August 14, purportedly issued by the Allahabad High Court, was used to seek the blocking of 95 gambling-related websites.

When Reuters approached the court administration to verify the order, officials found no record of it. The matter was subsequently brought to the attention of the Chief Justice, who directed the Registrar General and the court's computer section to examine its authenticity.

System Manager Arindam Lahiri examined the court's digital servers and databases. In a report submitted on November 3, 2026, he confirmed that Writ Petition No. 30480/2026, cited in the purported order, had never been registered or existed in the court's records.

The report also established that no order corresponding to the document had been uploaded to the court's official portal on August 14, 2026.

Further, the private secretary to the judge concerned confirmed in writing that the judge had never passed any such order or judgment, Reuters reported.

The inquiry revealed that an individual posing as a lawyer had emailed the fabricated document to the DoT, seeking the blocking of 95 websites.

Following the confirmation of forgery, the Registrar General, acting on the Chief Justice's directions, ordered police action on November 5.

A police case was registered against unknown persons at Cantt Police Station in Prayagraj on November 6, based on a complaint filed by the High Court's Joint Registrar (Civil).

The case has been registered under Sections 318(2), 336(2), 336(3), 337, 338 and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with cheating, forgery and the use of forged documents as genuine, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.

DCP (City) Sagar Jain said that the police's cybercrime and technical investigation teams were working to trace the IP address and computer system used in the alleged fraud and identify those involved.

Together, the two forged orders resulted in government directions to block 129 gambling-related websites.