Supreme Court quashes UP Police data demand against journalist who reported Ram Mandir donation theft
A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi quashed a UP Police notice to X seeking about three months of journalist Abhishek Upadhyay's data in a Ghaziabad road-rage FIR.
- LiveLaw
A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi quashed a UP Police notice to X seeking about three months of journalist Abhishek Upadhyay's data in a Ghaziabad road-rage FIR. Upadhyay had reported suspected misuse of donations to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple.
He denies the allegations in the FIR and says they are retaliation. Justice Bagchi called the data demand "overkill".
Key data
Data gathered under the notice cannot be used against him. Interim protection made absolute. His seized car to be released within 2 days. He may challenge the FIR in the High Court.
Why it matters
The ruling limits police from collecting a journalist's data for a period before the alleged incident and keeps reporting on the temple's finances protected.
GK: did you know?
A nine-judge bench recognised privacy as a fundamental right in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017).
