Emergency nature of situation justified Telegram ban: Delhi HC upholds app restriction till June 22 ahead of NEET re-exam

Telegram on Friday (Jun 19) failed to secure relief from the Delhi High Court, which upheld the Centre's temporary ban on the messaging platform, imposed ahead of the NEET re-examination to curb the spread of leaked exam material and misinformation. Justice Tejas Karia dismissed Telegram's challenge to the government's blocking order and held that the Centre had acted within the framework of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

Delhi HC finds Centre followed due process

The Delhi HC said the exceptional circumstances surrounding the nationwide medical entrance examination justified immediate intervention. "After considering all the arguments, we find that given the emergency nature, the reasons supplied are sufficient and the government has followed the procedure under Section 69A," the court observed while refusing to interfere with the order.

Telegram had argued that the blocking order suffered from procedural flaws and lacked adequate reasoning. It also questioned whether Section 69A permits authorities to block an entire platform instead of specific content.

The High Court rejected those arguments. Justice Karia held that both the original blocking order and the subsequent review conducted by the Review Committee reflected proper application of mind and contained sufficient reasons to justify the action. "The orders are well-founded and supported by reasons. The orders do not suffer from non-application of mind," the court said.

Why did the Government of India block Telegram

The GOI alleged that Telegram had become a key tool for organised cheating networks seeking to circulate leaked examination material and create panic around the NEET re-examination. According to the Centre, certain groups had allegedly exploited Telegram's features to spread fake claims of paper leaks and manipulate content in ways that could undermine confidence in the examination process.

Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the restriction was preventive rather than punitive and was necessary to protect the integrity of a high-stakes national examination.

Court rejects Telegram's proportionality argument

Senior Advocate Dhruv Mehta, appearing for Telegram, argued that millions of users relied on the platform and that the alleged misconduct of a small number of users could not justify disabling access to the entire service.

Telegram also told the court that it had cooperated with authorities and taken action against unlawful channels and groups whenever specific violations were identified. The company argued that less restrictive alternatives were available and that the order failed the constitutional test of proportionality. The High Court, however, sided with the government's position.

Rejecting the proportionality challenge, the court held that the temporary nature of the restriction and the objective behind it made the measure reasonable. "The government's measures are least restrictive. It cannot be held that the order is disproportionate," the court said.

Telegram ban to remain in force till June 22

The High Court ultimately concluded that the statutory requirements under Section 69A had been met and that the temporary ban on Telegram will continue until June 22, covering the period of the NEET re-examination and its immediate aftermath.