A complaint and FIR have reportedly been registered against journalist Pooja Mathur in Uttar Pradesh over her reporting on the demolition of the Saharanpur Collectorate Mosque.
Mathur said she learned about the FIR through a newspaper and questioned whether journalists could be criminally charged for reporting events and asking questions about the actions of authorities.
Police Object to Social Media Post and Video
According to a police statement cited by local media, Sub Inspector Rajkumar Gautam said a post shared on September 7 from an X account named “Pooja Mathur” came to the police’s notice.
Police alleged that the post claimed that religious objects, books and the Imam’s clothes were removed along with the debris after the demolition of the nearly 120 year old Collectorate Mosque.
The police reportedly considered the post objectionable and registered an FIR against the person associated with the account.
A separate case has also reportedly been filed against Mathur in connection with a video broadcast on the YouTube channel Red Chilli Live. Sub Inspector Satyendra Kumar Sharma said the police objected to both the title and content of the video.
The FIR details and specific legal provisions invoked against Mathur were not mentioned in the available report.
‘Is Showing the Truth a Crime?’
Reacting to the action, Mathur said her reporting was based on what she saw at the demolition site and what local residents told her.
“Is showing the truth a crime?” she asked.
She said she had attempted to report the events accurately and had only asked questions about what happened during the demolition.
“I tried to report exactly what I saw on the spot and heard from people,” Mathur said.
The journalist added that she respected the law and the judicial process but questioned the broader implications of filing criminal cases against journalists for their reporting.
“If a journalist has to pay the price for showing the truth and asking questions in the form of an FIR, then who will raise the voice of the common people?” she said.
Questions Over Journalism and Accountability
Mathur said the issue was not limited to her case but concerned the role of journalism in a democracy.
“What will be left of the role of a journalist in democracy?” she asked.
She also said she would continue her work despite the FIR.
“We are followers of Babasaheb, and we will continue to show what is true,” she said.
The FIR comes amid continuing controversy over the September 5 demolition of the Saharanpur Collectorate Mosque. Mosque representatives have disputed the administration’s claims regarding the structure, while authorities have maintained that the demolition was carried out after legal proceedings.
