The Crossbill News Desk
Journalist Abhishek Upadhyay has alleged that the Ghaziabad Police visited his residence late at night, questioned his family members and continued to withhold a complete copy of an FIR registered against him, prompting fresh concerns over police action against the journalist.
In a post on X on August 21, Upadhyay said the police visits were part of a continuing pattern of harassment directed at him and his family. In a subsequent post, he questioned the manner in which the Ghaziabad Police responded when he sought details of the case under which personnel had allegedly come looking for him.
According to Upadhyay, after he repeatedly requested a copy of the FIR since the previous night, a police official initially sent him a page that did not contain the sections invoked or details of the alleged offence. He alleged that a copy of an older FIR registered against him in Lucknow was later shared instead.
When he sought the complete Ghaziabad FIR, Upadhyay alleged, he was subsequently sent a page relating to another case registered in Gorakhpur in 2025 over his reporting on the death of a NEET student.
The journalist has alleged that pages from different FIRs were mixed up while the complete copy of the Ghaziabad case continued to be withheld. He questioned whether this was being done deliberately to prevent him from knowing the charges under which police personnel had allegedly arrived at his residence at night.
Upadhyay has linked the latest police action to his recent reporting, particularly his investigations into alleged theft and irregularities involving donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and other reports concerning the Uttar Pradesh government.
His YouTube channel, Top Secret, has in recent months published a series of reports on politically influential individuals, religious institutions and government departments in Uttar Pradesh. Upadhyay was among the first journalists to draw widespread attention to allegations of theft and irregularities in the handling of donations at the Ram Mandir, including through interviews with former employees associated with the temple’s donation-counting process.
The allegations subsequently resulted in an investigation and arrests, and the issue received national attention. Upadhyay has also reported on alleged wrongdoing involving the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department and other government departments.
His confrontation with the authorities, however, predates the latest controversy. Upadhyay launched his YouTube channel in August 2024 and faced police action the following month after publishing a report and a series of posts questioning what he described as the growing prominence of Thakur officials in important positions under the Yogi Adityanath government.
An FIR was registered against Upadhyay and journalist Mamta Tripathi at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station following a complaint by freelance journalist Pankaj Kumar, who accused them of publishing “false, baseless and misleading information” and attempting to disturb communal harmony.
Upadhyay approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the case was an attempt to target him for his journalism and expressing concern that additional criminal proceedings could follow.
On October 4, 2024, the Supreme Court ordered that no coercive action be taken against Upadhyay in connection with that FIR. The court observed that merely because a journalist’s writings are perceived as criticism of the government, criminal cases should not be slapped against the writer.
The latest allegations have again brought Upadhyay’s long-running dispute with the Uttar Pradesh police into focus.
While the circumstances and allegations relating to the Ghaziabad FIR remain to be clarified, Upadhyay has alleged that the latest police action represents a continuation of pressure against him despite the Supreme Court’s earlier protection.
In a post on X on August 21, Upadhyay said the police visits were part of a continuing pattern of harassment directed at him and his family. In a subsequent post, he questioned the manner in which the Ghaziabad Police responded when he sought details of the case under which personnel had allegedly come looking for him.
According to Upadhyay, after he repeatedly requested a copy of the FIR since the previous night, a police official initially sent him a page that did not contain the sections invoked or details of the alleged offence. He alleged that a copy of an older FIR registered against him in Lucknow was later shared instead.
When he sought the complete Ghaziabad FIR, Upadhyay alleged, he was subsequently sent a page relating to another case registered in Gorakhpur in 2025 over his reporting on the death of a NEET student.
The journalist has alleged that pages from different FIRs were mixed up while the complete copy of the Ghaziabad case continued to be withheld. He questioned whether this was being done deliberately to prevent him from knowing the charges under which police personnel had allegedly arrived at his residence at night.
Upadhyay has linked the latest police action to his recent reporting, particularly his investigations into alleged theft and irregularities involving donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and other reports concerning the Uttar Pradesh government.
His YouTube channel, Top Secret, has in recent months published a series of reports on politically influential individuals, religious institutions and government departments in Uttar Pradesh. Upadhyay was among the first journalists to draw widespread attention to allegations of theft and irregularities in the handling of donations at the Ram Mandir, including through interviews with former employees associated with the temple’s donation-counting process.
The allegations subsequently resulted in an investigation and arrests, and the issue received national attention. Upadhyay has also reported on alleged wrongdoing involving the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department and other government departments.
His confrontation with the authorities, however, predates the latest controversy. Upadhyay launched his YouTube channel in August 2024 and faced police action the following month after publishing a report and a series of posts questioning what he described as the growing prominence of Thakur officials in important positions under the Yogi Adityanath government.
An FIR was registered against Upadhyay and journalist Mamta Tripathi at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station following a complaint by freelance journalist Pankaj Kumar, who accused them of publishing “false, baseless and misleading information” and attempting to disturb communal harmony.
Upadhyay approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the case was an attempt to target him for his journalism and expressing concern that additional criminal proceedings could follow.
On October 4, 2024, the Supreme Court ordered that no coercive action be taken against Upadhyay in connection with that FIR. The court observed that merely because a journalist’s writings are perceived as criticism of the government, criminal cases should not be slapped against the writer.
The latest allegations have again brought Upadhyay’s long-running dispute with the Uttar Pradesh police into focus.
While the circumstances and allegations relating to the Ghaziabad FIR remain to be clarified, Upadhyay has alleged that the latest police action represents a continuation of pressure against him despite the Supreme Court’s earlier protection.
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