SC gives YouTuber Abhishek Upadhyay interim relief from arrest in Ghaziabad FIR

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to YouTuber Abhishek Upadhyay in connection with an FIR lodged by Ghaziabad Police over an alleged road rage incident. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant ordered that no coercive action be taken against him until further orders, and directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to hand over a copy of the FIR. The court also asked Upadhyay to approach the Allahabad High Court to seek quashing of the case.

Upadhyay, who runs a YouTube channel, has claimed the FIR is a retaliatory move linked to his reporting on alleged misappropriation of donations made to the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. He told the court he was not supplied with the FIR copy and alleged that police were forcing shopkeepers to delete CCTV footage from the time of the alleged incident. His plea said he feared imminent arrest and physical harm by 'planted goons of the state machinery' and could not safely approach the high court on his own.