Telegram is locked in a legal battle with the Indian government after authorities ordered internet providers to block the messaging app over its alleged role in a series of leaked exam papers. Sources close to the matter confirm the company has filed an urgent petition with the Delhi High Court to overturn the ban, arguing it violates free speech and due process.
The crisis erupted when tens of thousands of students took to the streets in protest after question papers for competitive exams appeared on Telegram channels hours before the tests. Investigators say they have traced the leaks to organised crime syndicates that charge desperate candidates thousands of pounds for early access. One police officer involved told me: "This is not a prank. This is a multimillion-pound industry built on stolen futures."
Emails and internal memos show the government moved swiftly, instructing internet service providers to block Telegram nationwide. But the ban is patchy. Telegram remains accessible through VPNs and the app is still operational for users who already had it installed. Critics call the move a sledgehammer to crack a nut, pointing out that the leaks themselves could have been prevented with better security on the part of exam boards.
Documents obtained by this newsroom reveal that Telegram has been in talks with the government for months over content moderation. The company, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, has long prided itself on its hands-off approach to encryption and user privacy. But that stance is now under threat as regulators worldwide demand gatekeepers take responsibility for illegal activity on their platforms.
India is Telegram's largest market with over 500 million users, and the app has become an essential tool for activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens in a country where misinformation and surveillance are rife. A leaked internal note from Telegram's legal team reads: "We will not compromise on privacy. That is our core promise. But we cannot be an accomplice to crime."
The exam leak scandal has exposed a darker reality: the black market for academic credentials is thriving. In the past year alone, India has seen over a dozen major exam paper leaks, some linked to organised crime groups with political connections. One source told me that a single leaked paper can net a syndicate up to £50,000.
Meanwhile, students are caught in the crossfire. Riya Sharma, 19, failed her entrance exam after papers were cancelled for a third time due to leaks. "I've been preparing for two years," she told me. "This is not about Telegram. It's about being lied to by a system that doesn't care."
The court is expected to hear Telegram's petition next week. If the ban stands, it could set a precedent for similar actions in other countries. For now, the battle is as much about the future of encryption as it is about exam papers. And the clock is ticking.
