New Delhi: The Central Government has defended its temporary restriction on Telegram before the Delhi High Court, citing the messaging platform’s alleged role in the circulation of leaked examination papers, including the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case.
In an affidavit filed before the court, the Centre justified the ban imposed until June 22 and highlighted the activities of a Telegram channel named “Neet Mafia”, which reportedly had around 18,617 subscribers. According to the government, the channel was involved in the dissemination of leaked examination content, advance booking arrangements, payment collection mechanisms and assurances regarding the availability of exam-related material.
The affidavit stated that the scale of the channel demonstrated Telegram’s ability to facilitate the mass distribution of unlawful examination-related content to thousands of users simultaneously.
Government Raises Concerns Over Telegram’s Features
The Centre argued that Telegram differs significantly from other social media and messaging platforms because of its technical architecture and operational features.
According to the affidavit, Telegram’s cloud-based infrastructure allows seamless synchronisation across multiple devices and enables users to store and retrieve large volumes of content beyond a single device. The platform also supports groups with up to 2,00,000 members and public channels capable of broadcasting information to virtually unlimited audiences.
The government further noted that Telegram’s bot ecosystem allows automated content dissemination, user onboarding and redirection to mirror channels without continuous human intervention. Features such as usernames instead of phone numbers, hidden user identities and self-destructing messages were also highlighted as challenges for law enforcement agencies.
Centre Calls Telegram The ‘New Dark Web’
The affidavit described Telegram as the “new dark web,” alleging that criminals increasingly use the platform to connect with dark web forums and conduct unlawful activities while avoiding detection.
According to the government, Telegram has been used for activities including:
- Drug trafficking
- Cybercrime
- Extremism and terrorism
- Child exploitation
- Cyber fraud and scams
The Centre also alleged that extremist organisations use Telegram groups and channels to spread violent and radical content and to create misinformation that could destabilise public order.
Concerns Over Child Exploitation And Financial Fraud
The affidavit raised concerns about the circulation of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) through Telegram.
Authorities also claimed that cybercriminals use Telegram channels for the purchase and sale of mule bank accounts, which are often used in cyber fraud and money laundering operations to conceal the origin of illicit funds.
Additionally, the government stated that hacker groups and cyber threat actors frequently use Telegram to coordinate cyberattacks, exchange information and publish stolen data.
Temporary Restriction Linked To NEET Re-Examination
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed a temporary restriction on Telegram in India until June 22. The restriction coincides with the NEET re-examination scheduled for June 21 and its immediate aftermath.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomed the decision, stating that the move was intended to prevent misinformation, fraud and exam-related malpractice targeting candidates.
Telegram has challenged the restriction before the Delhi High Court, and the matter remains under judicial consideration.
SEO Meta Title: Centre Defends Telegram Ban In NEET Leak Case
Meta Description: The Centre told the Delhi High Court that Telegram facilitated NEET paper leak circulation and called the platform the new dark web.