‘Is reporting the truth a crime?’: journalist Pooja Mathur asks

New Delhi: The registration of two FIRs against journalist Pooja Mathur over her reporting on the demolition of the Collectorate Mosque in Saharanpur has raised fresh concerns over press freedom in Uttar Pradesh, with Mathur questioning whether reporting what journalists witness on the ground can itself invite criminal action.

Mathur said her reports were based on what she saw at the demolition site and accounts provided by local residents. The journalist has defended her reporting while maintaining that she respects the law and judicial process and will continue her work.

Police reportedly acted against her over a September 7 post from an X account carrying her name, which alleged that religious books, objects and the Imam’s clothes were removed along with the mosque debris. A separate FIR concerns a video published on the YouTube channel Red Chilli Live, with police objecting to its title and content. The specific legal provisions have not been disclosed.

The mosque, located inside the Saharanpur Collectorate complex, stood on about 315 square metres of government land. The administration described it as an illegal encroachment, while the mosque committee maintained that the structure was over a century old and registered as Waqf No. 451.

A district court on September 2 upheld an eviction order carrying a penalty of around Rs 6.41 crore, after which the administration demolished the structure on September 5 under heavy security.

The mosque committee plans to challenge the decision in the Allahabad High Court. Opposition leaders have also criticised the demolition, alleging politically targeted action, while the government maintains that due legal process was followed.

Based on Clarion India report.