SC asks UP Police to explain notice sent to X seeking data on journalist’s account in road rage case

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Ghaziabad police commissioner to file an affidavit explaining what information it had sought from social media platform X in connection with a road rage case against journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, Live Law reported.

Upadhyay has claimed that the road-rage case was filed to harass him for his reports on the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He was among the first to report on the alleged corruption.

In a petition against the first information report against him, Upadhyay has filed an application challenging a notice the Uttar Pradesh Police had issued to X seeking information about his social media account.

During the hearing on Monday, the counsel for Upadhyay contended that the police’s notice had sought information about the account dating back to June 1, even as the FIR in the road-rage case had been filed on August 18, reported Live Law.

The police had also sought details about which devices had been used to log in to the account.

The lawyer contended that the police were trying to find Upadhyay’s journalistic sources.

The attorney general representing the Uttar Pradesh government said that there was a medico-legal case report showing injuries that needed to be investigated.

In response, Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked why a person’s “digital footsteps” were needed in...

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