New Delhi, Sept. 1 -- Journalist Abhishek Upadhyay has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Ghaziabad Police request to X, formerly Twitter, seeking his digital activity records from June 1, 2026.
Upadhyay's lawyer, Advocate Anoop Prakash Awasthi, told a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana that X's California headquarters informed the journalist on August 26 about the request from the Criminal Investigation Department of Ghaziabad Police.
Awasthi argued that the data sought has no connection with the road rage case registered against Upadhyay on August 18. He said the period covered by the request coincided with the journalist's work on reports about alleged theft of Ram Temple donations in Ayodhya. "Digital footprints being sought from June 1, 2026 up till date," Awasthi said, adding that disclosure could reveal Upadhyay's journalistic sources to state authorities. The Court said it would examine the concerns.
On August 25, the Supreme Court had granted Upadhyay interim protection from arrest in the road rage case. The FIR was filed after a motorcyclist alleged that Upadhyay hit his vehicle and threatened and abused him.
Upadhyay has claimed the case, which also invokes the SC/ST Act, was retaliation for his reporting on the Ram Temple Trust and alleged corruption in Uttar Pradesh. He has also alleged that CCTV footage was suppressed and said the two-wheeler's owner was not the complainant.
The Supreme Court has sought the Uttar Pradesh government's response. The matter will next be heard on September 7.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.