Policy · Consumer Internet & Media

Delhi HC reserves judgment on Telegram suspension

By Startup Enthusiast · 18 June 2026

What they do

Telegram is an encrypted messaging app used for private chats and large channels

The Delhi High Court reserved judgment on Telegram's plea against a government suspension order under IT Act Section 69A

The government called Telegram a 'new dark web' and alleged it enabled cheating in the NEET-UG exam

The Delhi High Court reserved judgment on Telegram's plea challenging its suspension under IT Act Section 69A.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered Telegram to disable its message-editing feature until June 30.
The suspension order remains in place until June 22.
The case stems from the NEET-UG exam cancellation last month.
The government filed a counter affidavit opposing Telegram's request for a temporary restriction.
Telegram claimed it removed over 900 links enabling access to illegal NEET-related content.
Telegram challenged the order as unconstitutional.

The government likened Telegram to a 'new dark web' in its affidavit.
The government identified a Telegram channel called 'NEET Mafia' with about 18,617 subscribers.
The government alleged organised cheating networks used Telegram to spread leaked NEET question papers.
The government alleged Telegram's cloud architecture and 2-lakh-member channel capacity enable wide content dissemination.
The government alleged Telegram enables drug trafficking, terrorism, child exploitation, cyber scams, financial fraud, and media piracy.