NEW DELHI, June 18 (World Daily Times) — India’s Delhi High Court has rejected Telegram’s challenge to a temporary government order blocking access to the messaging app, backing the restriction until June 22 in a case tied to NEET-UG re-examination security.
Justice Tejas Karia held that the Indian government was empowered under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act to direct blocking of public access to Telegram. The court said the temporary restriction was legal, reasonable and not disproportionate.
The Centre told the court that Telegram had been used by paper-leak and cheating networks and that the platform’s structure made misuse difficult to control. The blocking order was issued ahead of the exam-related re-test.
The ruling leaves the temporary access restriction in place for users in India while the government’s exam-integrity measures continue. The court’s order adds to India’s wider use of online blocking powers under its IT law, a policy approach with implications for messaging platforms operating in the country.
