New Delhi: In a high-stakes legal battle, Telegram has moved the Delhi High Court against the Union government's suspension order that temporarily blocks the platform nationwide until June 22. Justice Tejas Karia agreed to hear the urgent plea on Wednesday, just days before the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT invoked Section 69A of the IT Act to justify the ban, citing rampant misuse of Telegram channels like "PAPER LEAKED NEET," where fraudsters allegedly extorted students with fake question papers. Authorities also ordered Telegram to disable its message-editing tool until June 30, after discovering that rogue admins manipulated old posts to fabricate evidence of leaks.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov condemned the move, arguing that "banning the platform punishes over 150 million innocent users in India instead of targeting the actual fraudsters." Digital rights advocates, including the Internet Freedom Foundation, also criticised the suspension as disproportionate.
The case highlights the growing tension between India's exam security measures and global tech platforms, with the outcome likely to set a precedent for digital regulation in the country.