Telegram Used For Terrorism, Drug Trade And Financial Fraud: Centre Tells Delhi High Court

The Centre on Thursday defended its decision to temporarily block Telegram in India, telling the Delhi High Court that the messaging platform has increasingly become a hub for illegal activities ranging from terrorism and cybercrime to financial fraud and child exploitation.

The submission came during hearings related to Telegram's challenge against the government's order suspending its services until June 22. The restriction was imposed ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, with authorities citing concerns over potential misuse of the platform to circulate examination-related material.

Centre Describes Telegram As 'New Dark Web'

In its submissions before the court, the government claimed that Telegram has emerged as a preferred platform for threat actors who use its channels and groups to connect users with 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 Centre said.

According to the government, Telegram's privacy-focused features make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to identify offenders and investigate criminal activities effectively.

Terror, Extremism And Illegal Networks Under Scrutiny

The Centre alleged that Telegram is being exploited by groups associated with terrorist organisations to spread propaganda, radical content and misinformation.

"It has been observed that 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 Centre submitted.

The government further stated that extremist content is being circulated through various channels and groups with the objective of influencing public opinion and disturbing public order.

"Extremist violent acts performed by terror organisations and other radical content is being propagated by telegram groups and channels by the entities which are associated with terrorist organisations to create misinformation or have the intention to destabilise public order," it said.

Concerns Over Child Abuse Content, Piracy And Financial Crimes

The Centre also highlighted concerns regarding the circulation of child sexual exploitative and abuse material through Telegram groups and channels.

Apart from this, authorities claimed the platform is being widely used for digital piracy, with several channels allegedly distributing pirated films, web series and copyrighted content, causing financial losses to content creators and rights holders.

The government further alleged that cybercriminals are using Telegram's anonymity features to create fake identities and operate financial scams.

"Cybercriminals create fake accounts using false identities, which are used to carry out various financial crimes and scams, publish data breaches on Telegram groups/channels," it said.

According to the Centre, hacker groups and cyber threat actors also use the platform to coordinate attacks, share stolen information and facilitate the sale of mule bank accounts linked to financial crimes.

NEET Re-Exam Triggered Temporary Block

The dispute stems from the government's decision to temporarily suspend Telegram's operations in India until June 22 following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Authorities said the move was aimed at preventing the circulation of leaked examination material and ensuring the integrity of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination process.

The Centre also directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. The NTA argued that the feature had previously been misused to create misleading claims of paper leaks by allowing users to edit old messages and replace attachments while retaining original timestamps.

Telegram has remained under scrutiny during the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, with several channels allegedly offering access to examination papers and confidential material in exchange for money. Investigations into such activities are currently underway.