Journalist Abhishek Upadhyay moves Supreme Court to challenge Ghaziabad road-rage FIR

Journalist Abhishek Upadhyay has approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash an FIR registered against him by Ghaziabad Police over an alleged road-rage incident, claiming the case was filed to target him for his journalistic work.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, agreed Monday to hear Upadhyay’s plea on August 25 after his lawyer sought an urgent listing. The listing is subject to the petition’s procedural defects being cured.

The FIR was registered at the Indirapuram police station following an alleged incident near Shipra Mall in Ghaziabad on August 18. According to Upadhyay’s account, a motorcyclist allegedly came into contact with his car and subsequently called the police emergency helpline. He said an FIR was registered later in connection with allegations of road rage, abuse and threats.

Upadhyay has denied the allegations and described the case as fabricated. In his Supreme Court petition, he alleged that the FIR was intended to harass him because of his investigative reporting. He has also claimed that police personnel visited his residence on August 20 and that he fears arrest.

The journalist has further alleged that he was not provided a copy of the FIR and that nearby shopkeepers were being pressured to remove or delete CCTV footage from the area. He has asked the Supreme Court to quash the FIR or, alternatively, transfer its investigation to an agency other than the Uttar Pradesh Police.

The case reportedly includes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, according to reports on the petition.

Upadhyay operates the YouTube channel Top Secret and has previously published reports alleging irregularities in the handling of donations associated with the Ram temple in Ayodhya, as well as alleged corruption in the Uttar Pradesh administration. He has said the latest FIR is connected to that reporting.

Police have not publicly responded to Upadhyay’s allegations in the reports reviewed for this story. The Supreme Court’s Aug. 25 hearing is expected to consider his challenge to the FIR and his request for relief from the proceedings.