Supreme Court Orders Government to Justify Telegram Ban

The Supreme Court has directed the government to provide reasons for blocking access to the messaging app Telegram in Nepal.

A single bench of Justice Til Prasad Shrestha on Sunday issued a show-cause order asking the government to explain the decision. The court has also scheduled a hearing to determine whether an interim order should be issued to lift the ban, summoning both parties for the next session.

During Sunday’s hearing, petitioners’ lawyers Gyan Basnet, Monika Dhakhwa, and Abhayraj Joshi presented arguments before the bench. The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) had instructed telecom service providers to block Telegram on July 18, citing an increase in online fraud. A writ petition challenging the directive was filed on August 21.

The writ seeks to annul NTA’s directive and issue a mandamus order, arguing that the ban violates constitutional provisions and fundamental rights. Petitioners have also requested an interim order to prevent enforcement of the ban and demanded that the case be given priority.

The petition claims that NTA’s notice contravenes the Electronic Transactions Act, Section 43, and is inconsistent with constitutional guarantees of freedom. The Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, and NTA have been named as the defendants.

On July 18, the telecom regulator issued a public notice directing all service providers to block access to Telegram, stating that the platform was being used for online fraud and crimes linked to money laundering.

“It has been found that serious crimes such as money laundering are associated with this app. Therefore, all telecom operators are instructed to immediately block access to Telegram,” the NTA said in its notice.

Following this directive, internet service providers in Nepal restricted access to the app.

Digital rights groups and civil society organizations have condemned the decision, calling it a serious violation of constitutional freedoms. In a joint statement, Digital Rights Nepal and 27 other organizations urged the government to lift the restriction. Telegram also expressed surprise at the ban, stating that it is willing to comply with Nepal’s laws and hopes for the ban to be revoked soon.