Independent journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, who runs the digital news platform Top Secret, has approached the Supreme Court to challenge a Ghaziabad Crime Branch notice seeking extensive data from his X account. The notice demands account and device information dating back to June 1, nearly three months before an alleged road-rage incident on August 18, according to medianama.com.
Upadhyay was the first to report allegations of theft and irregularities involving donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, with his initial reports published on June 7. He questioned why the police sought his digital data starting from June 1, the week he broke the story, rather than just on the date of the alleged incident. Upadhyay described this as the second FIR lodged against him and highlighted the timing of the data demand coinciding with his reporting period, as reported by medianama.com.
The Ghaziabad Crime Branch issued the notice to X, seeking detailed logs including mobile details, logins, and digital footprints. Upadhyay’s petition argues that such extensive data collection is unwarranted for an alleged road accident case and raises concerns about potential misuse of investigative powers. The case has drawn attention to issues of digital privacy and press freedom in India, especially involving journalists covering sensitive topics, per medianama.com.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on September 7, where Upadhyay’s challenge to the police’s demand for his X account data will be considered, medianama.com reported.