Now Reading: Fake law firm and Google id used to target Vantara journalists
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Fake law firm and Google id used to target Vantara journalists
An unknown entity created a fake law firm, Aspire Law Firm, using the biography of cyber law expert Puneet Bhasin, and a fake Google support email to intimidate journalists who reported critically…
The Story in Brief
An unknown entity created a fake law firm, Aspire Law Firm, using the biography of cyber law expert Puneet Bhasin, and a fake Google support email to intimidate journalists who reported critically on Reliance-backed Vantara wildlife centre. The attempt came in June and July 2025, before the Supreme Court gave Vantara a clean chit on September 15 based on a Special Investigation Team report.
The takedown efforts targeted Indian outlets like NorthEast Now and Down To Earth, and international media in Africa, Brazil, the Czech Republic and Germany. In the only case where content temporarily vanished from Google search, a fake DMCA complaint against the Pulitzer Center's republication of a Himal Southasian investigation led to a delay in reappearance. The source of the coordinated threats remains unidentified.
The Indian Opinion
The barrage of fake legal notices and DMCA complaints against Vantara reports is being portrayed as proof of corporate censorship by Reliance. Yet the source of these threats is unknown, and the Supreme Court has cleared Vantara after an SIT probe. The real test is whether the new agency will identify who built the fake law firm and Google ID. If the trail leads nowhere, sceptics will keep clutching at shadows.
Source: thenewsminute.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
