Delhi's 24-hour mobile internet shutdown: the 2024 Suspension Rules and the proportionality test

A Delhi Police (Special Cell) communication dated October 9, 2026 directed Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio and MTNL to suspend mobile internet services within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10 pm on October 9 to 10 pm on October 10, ahead of the Jantar Mantar protest. The shutdown was authorised by the Union Home Secretary under Rule 3(1) of the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024; the underlying October 9 suspension order was not publicly available, which the Internet Freedom Foundation said violates the Rules' publication requirement. The 2024 Rules cap suspensions at 15 days and require written reasons, a defined area and service type, while the Supreme Court's Anuradha Bhasin ruling demands proportionality and published orders so they can be challenged. Explained by The Indian Express and reported by The Indian Express. (Indian Express, Indian Express)

• A Delhi Police (Special Cell) communication dated October 9, 2026 directed Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio and MTNL to suspend mobile internet services within a 4-km radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing from 10 pm on
• The shutdown was authorised by the Union Home Secretary under Rule 3(1) of the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024; the underlying October 9 suspension order was not publicly available, whic
• The 2024 Rules cap suspensions at 15 days and require written reasons, a defined area and service type, while the Supreme Court's Anuradha Bhasin ruling demands proportionality and published orders so they can be challen