The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted protection from coercive action to journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, who reported on the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation ‘theft’, in an FIR lodged against him by the Ghaziabad Police in an alleged road rage incident.A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government asking it to respond to Upadhyay’s petition seeking quashing of the FIR registered at Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.The top court asked Upadhyay to approach the Allahabad High Court for quashing of the FIR and posted the matter for hearing on September 7.”Meanwhile, no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner (Upadhyay) in the FIR already registered or in such FIRs, to our knowledge, that may be registered against him…,” ordered the Bench which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana.Directing a copy of the FIR to be provided to Upadhyay, the top court sought a compliance affidavit from the Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad.Apprehending his imminent arrest, Upadhyay had moved the Supreme Court challenging an FIR lodged against him by the Ghaziabad Police in a road rage incident.Upadhyay, who runs a YouTube channel, alleged that a police team reached his residence late on August 20 and told him that a case had been registered at Indirapuram police station following allegations of road rage and abusive behaviour. He alleged that the FIR was based on concocted allegations against him and that it was an attempt to harass him for his independent journalistic works.The journalist contended that the FIR copy had not been supplied to him and that the police were forcing nearby shopkeepers to delete the CCTV visuals of the relevant time. He has sought quashing of the FIR, or in the alternative, its investigation to be transferred to an independent agency other than the UP Police.Upadhyay’s plea claimed the FIR has been lodged against him in Ghaziabad for his reporting on alleged corruption in Uttar Pradesh.The alleged incident took place on August 18 near Shipra Mall in Ghaziabad, when a motorcyclist allegedly touched his car. He said the man subsequently called the police emergency helpline 112 and an FIR was registered later, he submitted.Upadhyay alleged that the police team had come to his residence possibly to arrest him and he requested Ghaziabad police to release CCTV footage of the alleged incident.The petitioner submitted that he had previously reported on alleged irregularities in handling of donations to the Ram temple.