Supreme Court asks why U.P. Police sought journalist’s digital data in road-rage probe
The Supreme Court of India has questioned the Uttar Pradesh Police regarding their request for a journalist's digital data during a road-rage investigation. The court has ordered the police to file an affidavit clarifying the necessity of this data.
Why it matters
The case highlights critical tensions between law enforcement investigative powers and the protection of journalistic sources and digital privacy.
The Supreme Court on Monday (September 7, 2026) asked the Uttar Pradesh Police why they needed the digital footprint of Abhishek Upadhyay, an independent journalist who flagged the alleged misappropriation of donations to the Ayodhya Ram temple , in order to investigate a road-rage case registered against him.
“In a road-rage case, why would you require the digital footprints of the accused?” a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant asked.
The Bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, directed the Ghaziabad Police Commissioner to file an affidavit detailing the information sought from social media platform X for investigating the first information report (FIR) registered against Mr. Upadhyay.
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