The Centre on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that the Telegram messaging platform was being widely misused for a range of unlawful activities, including cybercrime, financial fraud, terrorism-related communication and circulation of leaked examination papers.
The submission was made through an affidavit filed by a scientist from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in response to Telegram’s petition challenging the government’s decision to temporarily restrict access to the platform ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
The affidavit sought dismissal of Telegram’s plea and cited findings from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which has flagged the platform’s increasing use by cybercriminals and organised networks.
Centre Flags Growing Misuse of Telegram
According to the affidavit, Telegram’s features such as concealed identities, private groups, channels and anonymous accounts have made it a preferred platform for criminal activities. Authorities alleged that cybercriminals use the platform to conduct financial fraud, distribute malware, breach data systems and circulate leaked examination material.
“Telegram is being exploited for illegal activities including drug trafficking, cybercrime, extremism, terrorism, child exploitation, and cyber scams and frauds, primarily due to privacy features,” the affidavit said.
The matter was heard by a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia. Telegram has challenged the Centre’s move to restrict access to the application before the NEET-UG re-examination.
The controversy stems from the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination held on May 3 after allegations of a question paper leak surfaced. The National Testing Agency (NTA) subsequently ordered a re-test, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues to probe the matter.
The government also highlighted concerns regarding Telegram’s role in facilitating access to hidden online networks.
“Telegram has become the new dark web, linking threat actors. Criminals have rapidly adopted Telegram to post links on channels that connect to dark web forums through deep web links, making it hard for authorities to track and attribute criminals,” the affidavit said.
Fraud Complaints Cross 2.75 Lakh in 2025
The Centre informed the court that complaints linked to Telegram on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal have risen sharply in recent years. More than 2.75 lakh complaints involving alleged fraud worth Rs 3,086 crore were reported in 2025 alone, according to the affidavit.
Officials also pointed out that Telegram’s channel structure enables administrators to broadcast messages to large audiences while keeping subscriber identities hidden from one another, making monitoring and enforcement more challenging.
“Telegram channels with unlimited number of subscribers are designed to broadcast messages to large audiences. The subscribers’ identities are hidden from each other and channel’s creator or selected admins can post messages, while subscribers can only view the content,” the Centre said.
The government further referred to regulatory actions taken against Telegram in multiple countries, including China, Iran, France, Russia, Germany and Brazil, where authorities have raised concerns over compliance, content moderation and law-enforcement cooperation.
Govt Opposes Blanket Ban, Says Targeted Action Preferred
Despite highlighting concerns over misuse of the platform, the Centre clarified that it does not support a complete ban on Telegram. It argued that such a move would be disproportionate and inconsistent with the Information Technology Act and the Information Technology Rules, 2021, which favour targeted intervention against unlawful content.
The affidavit stated that Telegram has been cooperating with Indian authorities through the Sahyog portal and has acted on requests to remove objectionable content.
According to the Centre, the platform has disabled or removed access to all 404 URLs flagged by authorities, including channels allegedly linked to NEET paper leak networks and examination-related fraud activities.
After hearing arguments from senior advocate Dhruv Mehta, appearing for Telegram, and Attorney General R Venkataramani along with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the Centre, the Delhi High Court reserved its verdict on the matter.
The court directed both parties to file their written submissions by 7 pm before delivering its decision.