Facebook's India head summoned by J&K government over alleged online cheating complaint

Taking cognizance of the complaint filed under the IT Act 2000 by Jammu resident Vivek Sagar, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday summoned the Facebook India managing director and other officials to appear before the adjudicating officer on November 12 in connection with a complaint of an alleged online cheating case.

Vivek Sagar had filed a complaint against others including the company under the IT Act. The orders for appearance in person against Ajit Mohan, MD of Facebook India, and other respondents have been issued by adjudicating officer Simrandeep Singh, who is the Secretary to J&K government's Department of Information Technology.

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The complaint was filed through advocate Deepak Sharma of the J&K High Court. The notice for appearance among others was also issued to Director of Bajaj Finance Ltd, Director of Quadrant Televentures Ltd, and an SBI manager. The complainant Vivek Sagar alleged that Facebook and the other respondents have violated the provisions of the IT Act by cheating and defrauding the complainant as he was made to deposit Rs 20,700 for getting a loan at 4 percent interest from Bajaj Finance Ltd,.

“By acts of omissions and commissions on the part of respondents, the complainant has suffered not only financially but also mentally. The respondents, by making contraventions of the provisions of the IT Act, caused undue loss to the complainant by dishonestly inducing the complainant to transfer an amount of Rs. 20,700 into the bank account number of the respondent,” their complaint read.

The secretary of the Department of Information Technology is designated as the adjudicating officer by the government to deal with complaints, under Section 46 of the Information Technology Act.

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(With Inputs from PTI)