New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Ghaziabad police to explain why it is seeking digital footprints in a road-rage case against a Lucknow-based journalist who had flagged alleged donation theft at Ayodhya's Ram Temple. A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, was hearing a petition filed by Abhishek Upadhyay, challenging an FIR lodged against him by Ghaziabad police in an alleged road-rage incident on August 18. The petitioner said the Ghaziabad police has requested the microblogging platform X to supply his digital footprints since June 2026. "Let the Commissioner of Police, Ghaziabad clarify what kind of information is required from 'X' for the purpose of investigation into the road rage FIR or any other FIR registered against the petitioner," said the bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. "In a road rage case, why will you require his digital footprints?" the bench asked the police counsel. "No such information (pertaining to digital footprint) shall be brought in the public domain till the next date of hearing." The Ghaziabad police, represented by Uttar Pradesh additional advocate general (AAG) Sharan Dev Singh Thakur, said there are two other cases being probed against Upadhyay that pertain to defamation complaints. Thakur also objected to the "wild allegations" levelled by Upadhyay in his petition alleging that the road-rage FIR was filed in retaliation to his coverage of alleged irregularities in the handling of donations at the Ayodhya temple. "The only thing that concerns us is what should be the limits and parameters for the digital footprints collected," said the bench. Thakur said there is an eyewitness statement in the road-rage case, which is being investigated. He added that if nothing is found against the journalist, it would be closed. Senior advocate Pradeep Rai, appearing for Upadhyay along with advocate Anoop Prakash Awasthi, said the court must lay down guidelines for the police in such cases. Upadhyay has sought the quashing of the FIR or, in the alternative, that the investigation be transferred from the Uttar Pradesh Police to an independent agency such as CBI....