Journalist tells SC that U.P. Police seeking digital footprint to dig out his Ram Temple donation case sources
Journalist Abhishek Upadhyay has petitioned the Supreme Court of India, alleging that the Uttar Pradesh Police are using a road rage investigation as a pretext to access his digital footprint and identify his sources regarding Ram Temple donation misappropriation. The court has previously granted him protection from coercive action.
Why it matters
This case highlights ongoing tensions between state investigative agencies and press freedom, specifically regarding the protection of journalistic sources.
Abhishek Upadhyay , an independent journalist who flagged the alleged misappropriation of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple donations , urgently approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) claiming the Uttar Pradesh Police is trying to unearth his digital footprint from June 1, 2026 in a bid to identify his sources.
Appearing before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, the journalist’s counsel, advocate Anoop Prakash Awasthi, informed that the investigating officer (IO) has sought Mr. Upadhyay’s digital footprint from social media platform ‘X’.
“The IO is investigating a road rage FIR against me. The FIR was registered on August 18, 2026. Why should he want my entire digital footprint from June 1, 2026, which happens to be the date from which I collected evidence on the Ram Temple donations...” Mr. Awasthi submitted.
The lawyer alleged that the police efforts were to unearth his client’s sources and to harass them.
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