The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday a plea by journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, who has challenged an FIR lodged against him by the Ghaziabad police in an alleged road rage case. Upadhyay has also reported alleged irregularities in the handling of donations at Ayodhya’s Ram temple.
Upadhyay has claimed the FIR is based on concocted allegations and is an attempt to harass him over his independent journalistic work. He has sought quashing of the FIR or, alternatively, transfer of the investigation to an independent agency other than the Uttar Pradesh Police.
The fresh plea was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
During the mentioning, his counsel said, “Multiple FIRs have been filed against him and now an FIR under the stringent provisions of the SC/ST Act has also been filed. The police raided his house on August 20. Yesterday also, the police came at 5 o’clock. I have filed my writ petition. I request that it may be listed today or tomorrow, whatever is possible.”
The Chief Justice then agreed to list the matter for hearing on Tuesday, subject to curing defects in the petition.
In his plea, Upadhyay said a copy of the FIR had not been supplied to him and alleged that the police were forcing nearby shopkeepers to delete CCTV footage of the relevant time.
He said he apprehended imminent arrest and physical harm and was therefore not in a position to safely approach the Allahabad High Court.
The plea said, “He apprehends that he may be arrested or subjected to physical harm by planted goons of the state machinery in the State of Uttar Pradesh before he can obtain effective judicial protection.”
The plea added, “He is, therefore, seeking quashing of the impugned FIR and in alternative ready and willing to join the investigation and cooperate with the investigating agency in accordance with law with a request that present FIR as well as other FIRs filed against him because of his reporting on the Ram Janam Bhoomi donation theft issue may please be directed to be investigated by Delhi Police or Central Bureau of Investigation.”
The FIR was lodged in Ghaziabad over an alleged road rage incident, which Upadhyay has claimed was planted in connection with his reporting on alleged corruption in Uttar Pradesh. Upadhyay, who runs a YouTube channel, said a police team reached his residence late on August 20 and told him that a case had been registered at Indirapuram police station following allegations of road rage and abusive behaviour.
According to him, the alleged incident took place on August 18 near Shipra Mall in Ghaziabad, when a motorcyclist allegedly touched his car, after which the man called the police helpline 112 and an FIR was later registered. He also alleged that the police team had come to his residence possibly to arrest him and asked Ghaziabad police to release CCTV footage of the alleged incident.
Upadhyay has said the case against him is linked to his reporting on alleged irregularities involving Ram temple donations and alleged corruption in the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Supreme Court is now set to hear his plea on Tuesday.
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Aug 24, 2026 12:15 IST
