New Delhi, 15 September (H.S.): The Supreme Court has declined to entertain a petition seeking registration of an FIR against police officers from Ghaziabad in connection with a raid conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Police at the Delhi residence of former Delhi Mayor Farhad Suri while searching for journalist Abhishek Upadhyay, who had reported on the alleged theft of offerings from the Ram Temple.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant told Farhad Suri that the appropriate statutory remedies should first be exhausted for registration of an FIR. The court said it was not appropriate to approach the Supreme Court directly under Article 32 of the Constitution. The court also declined to consider the alternative plea seeking the formulation of guidelines for inter-state police raids.

The Ghaziabad Police have registered an FIR against Abhishek Upadhyay in connection with a road-rage case. The Supreme Court had granted Upadhyay interim protection in the matter on August 25.

In his petition, Farhad Suri alleged that during the intervening night of August 22 and 23, Ghaziabad Police officials arrived at his Delhi residence without a warrant in search of Abhishek Upadhyay and conducted a search. Describing the police action as illegal, Suri had sought registration of an FIR against the concerned Ghaziabad police officers.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar