New Delhi, August 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from coercive action to journalist Abhishek Upadhyay in connection with an FIR registered by Uttar Pradesh Police over an alleged road-rage incident in Ghaziabad.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and directed that no coercive action be taken against Upadhyay in the FIR already registered against him or in any similar FIR that may be registered against him.
The court also directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to provide Upadhyay with a copy of the FIR registered at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad so that he could pursue appropriate legal remedies.
The Commissioner of Police, Ghaziabad, was directed to file a compliance report, and the matter was posted for further hearing on September 7.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court indicated that after receiving the FIR, Upadhyay could approach the Allahabad High Court for appropriate relief, including quashing of the case if grounds were made out.
Senior advocate Pradeep Rai, appearing for Upadhyay, argued that the FIR was a “counter blast” to the journalist’s investigative reporting, including his reports concerning alleged irregularities in the Ram Mandir Trust and alleged corruption in the Uttar Pradesh administration. He also referred to Upadhyay’s reporting on an alleged Ayodhya donation scam and claimed that the allegations in the FIR were baseless.
Rai told the court that CCTV footage from the alleged incident could establish Upadhyay’s innocence and sought directions for preservation of the footage.
According to Upadhyay’s plea, he was returning home after picking up his minor daughter from school when a motorcyclist allegedly approached his car and attempted to stop him, leading to a commotion. Upadhyay claimed that he avoided any confrontation because his daughter was accompanying him and instead attempted to de-escalate the situation.
The journalist has alleged that the incident was staged in retaliation for his reporting and that the complainant was allegedly acting at the behest of the state machinery. He further claimed that journalists approached shops and other establishments near the alleged spot to locate CCTV footage.
The plea alleged that police personnel had already approached some establishments and pressured them to delete or withhold CCTV footage from the relevant period. It also claimed that the owner of the two-wheeler involved in the alleged incident was not the complainant but another individual.
Upadhyay has challenged the alleged coercive action through a criminal writ petition before the Supreme Court and sought appropriate relief in connection with the case.
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