Telegram challenges ban in Delhi High Court; hearing scheduled for tomorrow

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Government seeking its response to a petition filed by Telegram challenging the recent ban imposed on its operations in India. The court has scheduled the matter for a follow-up hearing tomorrow at 2:30 PM.

During the preliminary arguments, the court observed that the government’s sweeping action against the messaging platform was unprecedented.

Telegram moved the high court claiming that the government's directive was entirely arbitrary. The company argued that the enforcement department moved forward with the ban unilaterally, without issuing a show-cause notice or seeking an official explanation from the platform’s management.

Countering the plea, the Central Government maintained that the decision was anchored on concrete evidence of the platform being systematically exploited for illegal activities. Government counsel stated that investigators have uncovered "shocking information" that necessitated immediate intervention.

According to official submissions, the Ministry of Home Affairs initiated the crackdown as part of heightened security protocols surrounding the NEET re-examination. Acting on actionable intelligence provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the cybersecurity division restricted Telegram's services to intercept and prevent potential examination leaks and paper trade malpractices.