New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection to journalist Abhishek Upadhyay. The top court directed authorities against taking coercive steps against Upadhyay. Notably regarding his article on the caste influence in the Uttar Pradesh State Administration. The apex court said, “In democratic nations, freedom to express one’s views is respected”
"Merely because writings of a journalist are perceived as criticism of the Government, criminal cases should not be slapped against the writer," the SC added. The apex court also sought a response from the UP govt on journalist Abhisek Upadhyay’s plea seeking the quashing of FIR against him over his story and also directed the concerned authorities not to take coercive steps against him.
The journalist has sought quashing of FIR against him over his story with the caption 'Yadav Raj versus Thakur Raj (or Singh Raj) on the caste dynamics of the general administration in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
“In democratic nations, freedom to express one's views is respected. The rights of the journalists are protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. Merely because writings of a journalist are perceived as criticism of the Government, criminal cases should not be slapped against the writer," the bench remarked.
In his plea, the journalist has sought quashing of the FIR lodged under various counts of BNS and 66 of IT (Amendment) Act, 2008 in PS Kotwali Hazrat Ganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and registered against him all such FIRs which may have been filed at other places containing the same or similar allegations.
"A journalist's duty is to serve the truth, to hold power accountable, and to inform the public without fear or favour, however while doing the same and publishing a story with the caption 'Yadav Raj versus Thakur Raj (or Singh Raj) on the caste dynamics of the general administration in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the Petitioner has been named in an FIR filed U/s 353(2), 197(1)(C), 302, 356(2) of BNS Act and Section 66 of the IT (amendment) Act, 2008, he has also received threats of legal action from official X handle of Uttar Pradesh Police in reply to his post to acting DGP and continuously getting threats of arrest and even encounter killing," the petition said.