Telegram row reaches Delhi HC: Centre defends non permanent ban over NEET paper leak, platform calls choice a ‘mistake’ | India Information

New Delhi: The controversy over Telegram’s non permanent restriction in India reached the Delhi Excessive Courtroom this week, with the Centre defending its choice to dam the platform until June 22 and calling it a vital step to handle considerations about examination safety, on-line crime networks and misuse of digital instruments.

The federal government informed the court docket that the motion was taken within the run-up to the NEET re-examination scheduled for June 21. In keeping with the submission filed by Solicitor Normal Tushar Mehta, Telegram’s construction makes it significantly susceptible to misuse. He argued that its bot system permits large-scale circulation of deceptive content material and helps construct networks which might be tough to detect by way of regular monitoring.

The Centre informed the court docket that Telegram’s structure has been utilized in ways in which transcend easy messaging. It stated the platform helps each massive public channels and teams with as much as 2 lakh members that makes it potential for content material to unfold quick and much and huge. It additionally pointed to the usage of bots and usernames as an alternative of cellphone numbers, saying this reduces traceability and helps customers concerned in criminality keep away from identification.

In its affidavit, the federal government described the messaging app as a platform that has more and more been used for coordination involving illegal actions. It stated channels equivalent to “NEET mafia” had been discovered sharing materials referring to alleged paper leaks, together with claims of advance reserving of examination papers, cost strategies and circulation of exam-related content material. The channel, in response to the federal government, had 18,617 subscribers.

The Centre additionally informed the court docket that Telegram is getting used for sharing extremist content material, together with hyperlinks related to terror-related networks. It additional stated the platform has been related to circulation of kid sexual abuse materials, pirated movies, internet sequence and different paid digital content material with out permission. One other concern raised was the alleged function of bots in making private information equivalent to cellphone numbers and Aadhaar-linked particulars accessible.

Officers argued that in conditions the place unlawful and authorized content material spreads at scale on the identical platform, separating the 2 turns into tough in actual time. They stated that underneath Part 69A of the Info Expertise Act, blocking motion was vital at once, particularly throughout a delicate interval such because the NEET examination cycle. In keeping with the affidavit, any delay may have affected public order and created unrest amongst college students.

The Centre additionally informed the court docket that Telegram’s cloud-based system allows fast content material distribution and permits posts to be edited, which might be misused to alter data after circulation. Together with the non permanent ban, the federal government had additionally directed that the platform disable enhancing of posted messages till June 30.

The Delhi Excessive Courtroom’s trip bench, led by Justice Tejas Karia, heard arguments from each side and has reserved its order on the matter.

Telegram, in its problem, stated that blocking the complete platform was neither justified nor in keeping with constitutional rules. Showing for the corporate, Senior Advocate Dhruv Mehta argued that focused elimination of problematic content material was a extra balanced method.

He stated there was no emergency that justified such a broad restriction and identified that the federal government may have directed elimination of particular posts as an alternative of appearing in opposition to the complete app.

Telegram additionally knowledgeable the court docket that it had taken down over 900 hyperlinks associated to NEET examination leaks and was utilizing synthetic intelligence instruments, machine studying programs and human moderation to detect violations.

The corporate’s CEO Pavel Durov additionally posted on on X, stating that the restriction impacts over 150 million customers in India, most of whom weren’t concerned in any wrongdoing. “This transfer impacts greater than 150 million common Telegram customers in India, not the ‘insiders’ who leaked examination content material,” he stated.

He additional added, “And the ban stopped nothing. The leaks merely moved to different apps. In current weeks, we’ve got eliminated lots of of channels in India sharing leaked examination materials and scams. We’re additionally making the ‘edited’ label extra seen to stop fraud utilizing backdated edits. Telegram is an effective factor. Banning it, even quickly, is a mistake.”

India’s IT ministry banned Telegram for one week as a result of some customers shared leaked examination questions.

This punishes 150M+ extraordinary Telegram customers in India — not the insiders who leaked the examination supplies.

And the ban hasn’t stopped something. The leaks simply moved to different apps.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) June 16, 2026

Over the previous few weeks, we eliminated lots of of channels sharing leaked examination supplies and associated scams in India.

We’re additionally making the “edited” label extra seen to stop backdating scams.

Telegram is a drive for good. Banning it — even quickly — is a mistake.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) June 16, 2026

The Centre has defended its choice, including that the motion was taken within the curiosity of examination integrity and to stop misuse of on-line platforms throughout a delicate interval.

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