Software Freedom Law Center, India has moved the Delhi High Court against mobile internet suspensions imposed around Jantar Mantar during protests over the NEET paper leak and wider examination irregularities.
The public interest litigation challenges six suspension orders issued between July 17 and July 23, contending that the restrictions were unconstitutional, disproportionate and imposed without disclosing adequate grounds. The petition also seeks mandatory publication of all future orders restricting internet access.
The case was mentioned on Friday before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya. The court agreed to consider an urgent listing, but the petition could not be taken up during the day because procedural objections raised by the registry had not been removed.
The legal services organisation has been asked to correct the defects before the matter can be placed before the bench. The challenge is expected to test whether the authorities complied with statutory safeguards governing temporary suspension of telecommunications services.
The contested orders were issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on July 17, 20, 22 and 23. Some dates covered more than one geographical area or operational period, taking the total number of challenged directives to six.
Mobile data services were disrupted across parts of Central Delhi, including areas within and around Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party-led agitation has demanded accountability for alleged examination failures. Protesters have called for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and broader reforms to the National Testing Agency.
The petition argues that the orders relied on expressions such as “public emergency” and “public safety” without providing specific facts demonstrating why a shutdown was necessary. It maintains that the authorities did not show that less restrictive measures, such as targeted security arrangements or limited controls at protest sites, had been considered.
Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, services may be suspended in a public emergency or in the interest of public safety, subject to prescribed conditions. The Telecommunications Rules, 2024 require written reasons, a clearly defined geographical area, identification of the services affected and a specified duration not exceeding 15 days.
The rules also require the competent authority to consider whether the intended objective can be achieved through another reasonable means. A copy of the suspension order must be sent to a review committee within 24 hours, while the committee is required to examine its legality within five days.
Software Freedom Law Center, India has sought production of the complete official record, including file notings, intelligence inputs and proceedings of the review committee. It wants the court to examine whether the decisions were based on verifiable security assessments and whether each restriction was narrowly tailored to the situation.
The organisation has also questioned the alleged failure to publish the orders when they were enforced. It says non-publication prevents affected residents, traders, journalists, lawyers and protesters from understanding the scope of the restrictions or challenging them promptly.
The Supreme Court has previously held that orders suspending internet services must be made publicly available. It has also ruled that indefinite restrictions are impermissible and that limitations affecting speech and trade must satisfy the tests of necessity and proportionality.
The Central Delhi disruptions affected mobile connectivity during periods of heightened security around Parliament Street, Connaught Place and adjoining commercial districts. Digital payments, app-based transport, food deliveries and communication services were disrupted in pockets where mobile data became unavailable.
Telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, implemented the directions after receiving instructions from the authorities. The restrictions focused on mobile data, while fixed-line broadband services were generally unaffected.
The shutdowns coincided with an expanded police deployment intended to prevent demonstrators from marching towards Parliament. Barricades were placed along access roads, several metro station gates were closed temporarily and movement was regulated in parts of the central business district.
Rights groups have maintained that internet restrictions during public demonstrations can impede reporting, emergency communication and access to essential services. Authorities, however, have defended temporary telecommunications controls in other cases as precautionary steps to prevent misinformation, mobilisation or disorder.
Data maintained by internet freedom organisations shows that at least 24 shutdowns had been recorded across the country during 2026 before the Central Delhi restrictions. The annual total stood at 54 in 2025, compared with 60 in 2024 and 96 in 2023.
