The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a notice on a petition filed by Telegram contesting the Central government's temporary blocking order. The court also allowed the respondents additional time to submit their replies along with supporting documents.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for Thursday at 2:30 PM, as reported by news agency ANI.
Telegram has approached the High Court against the government's decision to temporarily restrict access to the messaging platform ahead of the upcoming National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) re-examination for 2026, which is scheduled for June 21.
The Centre issued the blocking order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, and it will remain in effect until June 22. This action was taken due to concerns over the alleged misuse of the platform in relation to leaks and fraudulent claims about exam papers ahead of the re-examination.
Telegram had sought interim protection against the ban. The court noted that granting such relief could effectively mean staying the entire order. In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that doing so would “effectively amount to allowing the writ petition,” as reported by ANI. Mehta further stated, “If court posts matter tomorrow, there is something shocking I can show.”
The court also acknowledged the Centre's submission that “nothing will happen overnight” before adjourning the hearing.
This report includes agency inputs.
