A petitioner recently sought intervention from the Supreme Court of India regarding the restoration of a blocked WhatsApp account. The apex court reportedly declined to entertain the petition, advising the petitioner to approach the High Court instead.
During the proceedings, Justice Mehta reportedly suggested the use of “Arattai,” an indigenous Indian instant messaging application, referencing the “Make In India” initiative. Arattai, developed by Zoho Corporation, has over a decade of experience in enterprise communication software.
The petitioner’s representative stated that the WhatsApp account had been blocked without a specific reason. Beyond the individual case, the petitioner is also seeking the establishment of comprehensive guidelines governing social media intermediaries’ power to block or suspend accounts, advocating for “due process, transparency and proportionality.”
In related developments, Arattai has achieved a significant milestone, reporting over 7.5 million overall downloads and registered accounts as of October 3, 2025, across Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store, indicating a rapid adoption rate for the local application.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indigenous-app-supreme-court-bench-asks-petitioner-to-use-arattai-after-getting-blocked-from-whatsapp-101760163795470.html