The Delhi High Court on Thursday heard arguments in Telegram's challenge to a temporary nationwide ban and reserved its judgment. The government defended the order citing public order concerns ahead of the NEET retest.
The Union government told the court that Telegram has evolved into the new dark web and is used by cybercriminals and exam leak networks. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said complaints linked to the app rose from 75,688 in 2023 to 2.75 lakh in 2025.
Justice Tejas Karia questioned whether the ban under Section 69A of the IT Act was proportional. The government dropped the sovereignty argument and focused on public order.
Telegram's counsel argued that specific channels could be blocked instead of the entire platform. The court noted concerns over exam malpractice but reserved its verdict.
