An Indian court has dismissed Telegram's appeal against a temporary ban on the app. The ruling was delivered on June 17, 2026, following a closed-door hearing between Telegram representatives and Indian officials.
According to court documents, the New Delhi High Court, presided over by Justice Tejas Karia, upheld the government's ban as justified and strictly compliant with legal procedures. The ban has led to Telegram being removed from app stores in India since the start of the week.
Earlier, India's Ministry of Information Technology said that channels on Telegram were selling questions for the medical entrance exam, warning that even fake questions could mislead candidates. A month earlier, India had canceled the results of this exam due to suspected question leaks.
Telegram, which has over 150 million users in India, criticized the ban, arguing that it disadvantages users while leaked information had already spread elsewhere. In its appeal, Telegram rejected the government's description of meetings as 'one-sided and inaccurate' and affirmed that it had removed over 900 links related to exam-violating content.
This case has become one of the most closely watched legal confrontations between a global tech company and the Indian government this year. India joins the list of countries tightening control over Telegram, including China and Iran. Telegram is also facing pressure from investigations in France, Malaysia, and Australia.
