Delhi High Court Says Gmail Service Is Not a Public Function for Writ Jurisdiction

The Delhi High Court dismissed a writ petition seeking restoration of a disabled Gmail account, holding that providing commercial email services does not by itself amount to a public function.

Background and legal issue

A media company said its account was compromised and then disabled by Google, disrupting its operations. It argued that the platform’s reach and importance to its business made a constitutional writ remedy available.

Legal reasoning and context

Justice Amit Mahajan distinguished the scale of a private service from the legal nature of the function performed. Writ jurisdiction over private entities depends on discharge of public duties, not simply the commercial importance of the service to users.

Legal effect and next step

The writ petition was dismissed. The decision leaves other remedies, if available, to be pursued through appropriate contractual, consumer or other legal channels.