Alka Verma –
Published on: November 24, 2021 at 19:00 IST
After discovering that Google is involved in a cybercrime case, a Delhi based Court ordered the Delhi Police to probe the role of the Google in cyber-fraud conspiracy.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana ordered DCP Cyber Cell to investigate the conspiracy and abetment.
“Google search has become an indispensable part of one’s daily life. If you are not paying for the product, you are the product. The citizens have been rendered vulnerable and exposed by insouciant indifference of the Google authorities,” stated ASJ Rana.
The Judge passed this order after the Police informed him that Google was an accomplice in getting Rs. 30 lakhs from cybercriminals to feature their fake website on its top searches.
While passing this order, the Judge also reject the Bail Application of two men, Omendra Shrivastava and Sourabh Pandey.
The two men were also accused of being a part of a group that make fake websites to target that population of people who try to register cyber fraud complaints.
State Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed who opposed the Bail Applications, stated, “Google is in fact charging its clients to reflect their websites on the top in Google search. In the instant case also, Google received Rs 30 lakh from the accused and that is how the website of the accused surfaced on the top in Google search… by intentionally aiding the main culprits, Google is in fact partners in crime and their role needs to be investigated.”
While denying the Bail, the Judge also stated that he was aware of his limited role in the hearing of Bail Application.
But he also stated that he was, “equally conscious of the onerous duty of monitoring the investigations and the sacrosanct duty of all public institutions owed to its masters, the common citizens of the Country.”
The said case is all about a complaint filed by a man who got trapped in a scam while he was trying to purchase a mobile phone.
It should be noted here that during the hearing ASJ Rana also showed his concern over rising cases of cybercrimes and stated that on daily basis lakhs of citizens are being cheated.