Journalist Abhishek Upadhyaya, who first reported on the Ayodhya Ram temple donation theft rip-off, has approached the Supreme Court docket looking for an instantaneous keep and quashing of a discover issued by the Ghaziabad Crime Department asking social-media platform X to supply intensive digital data regarding his X account.
The applying, filed in his writ petition difficult the UP Police FIR over a street rage incident, challenges a discover dated August 22 issued beneath Part 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) by the Crime Department Investigation Unit, Ghaziabad. In accordance with the applying, X’s authorized division knowledgeable Upadhyaya by e mail on August 26 that it had obtained a request from the Ghaziabad Crime Department for data regarding his account, @upadhyayabhii. X stated it was notifying him to allow him to take applicable authorized motion to guard his pursuits.
Final week, the Supreme Court docket had stayed coercive action against Upadhyay on the FIR.
Upadhyay’s counsel talked about the applying in the present day earlier than the Chief Justice of India looking for pressing itemizing. He submitted that although the FIR is relating to an incident of August 18, the police was looking for information from June 1. This was an try to know his journalistic sources, he contended.
“My lord was happy to guard me. IO has sought all digital particulars since 1 June 2026 up until date, although the street rage incident was of 18.08.2026. That’s the week after I collected information to reveal Ram Mandir theft. If that’s disclosed, complete supply could be at mercy of state,” the counsel submitted.
The Chief Justice, declaring that the petitioner has already been granted interim safety, requested what’s the downside within the police investigating the matter.
“We’ll see. What’s the downside? We already protected. Allow them to examine,” the CJI requested. The counsel stated that he was looking for an pressing itemizing of the applying. “Simply file it,” Justice V Mohana stated. “We’ll see,” CJI added.
Police sought intensive digital information
The impugned discover seeks, amongst different issues, login and logout IP addresses, an alternate e mail ID, cellular quantity, location data together with latitude and longitude, cellular and machine particulars, IMEI quantity, identify, tackle, cellphone quantity and IP entry and registration logs.
Upadhyaya argued that the police demand is disproportionately broad as a result of it seeks digital data protecting a interval considerably previous the alleged incident.
The plea additional contends that the requested information might expose individuals who communicated with the journalist throughout his reporting and doubtlessly reveal confidential sources. In accordance with the applying, the demand might allow investigators to reconstruct the journalist’s digital associations, contacts and actions over a number of months.
The petitioner argued that the difficulty extends past particular person privateness and implicates freedom of the press and confidentiality of journalistic sources beneath Article 19(1)(a) of the Structure. He contended that unrestricted entry to a journalist’s digital information might have a chilling impact on potential sources of knowledge on issues of public curiosity.
The applying additionally said that, through the interval lined by the info request, Upadhyaya was engaged in investigative reporting regarding alleged irregularities and theft regarding donations related to the Ram Temple. The petitioner apprehended that disclosure of his digital information might establish individuals who assisted that investigation.
He has due to this fact requested the Supreme Court docket to remain, on an interim and ex-parte foundation, the operation of the August 22 discover and restrain the authorities from looking for, acquiring, accessing, processing or disclosing data pursuant to it. He has additionally sought quashing of the discover.
