Journalist who flagged Ram temple donation row gets SC protection in FIR case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, on August 25, granted protection from coercive action to a journalist who had earlier flagged alleged irregularities in the handling of donations at Ayodhya's Ram temple.He had earlier challenged an FIR lodged against him by Ghaziabad Police in a road rage case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and directed that a copy of the FIR, registered at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, be furnished to journalist Abhishek Upadhyay. The court also sought a compliance affidavit from the police and asked Upadhyay to approach the Allahabad High Court seeking quashing of the FIR, posting the matter for further hearing on September 7.

In his plea, Upadhyay alleged that he had not been provided a copy of the FIR and that police were pressuring nearby shopkeepers to delete CCTV footage from the relevant time period. He sought either quashing of the FIR or, alternatively, a transfer of the investigation to an independent agency other than the Uttar Pradesh Police. He claims the case had been fabricated in connection with his reporting on alleged corruption in the state.

(With inputs from PTI)