Ghaziabad: Dowry Death, Journalist's Supreme Court Battle, and Influencer Arrest
Ghaziabad made headlines this week on three distinct fronts. A young woman died six months after her love marriage, with CCTV footage surfacing of her fall from a Muradnagar rooftop as her family alleges her husband pushed her in a dowry dispute. The Supreme Court stepped in to protect journalist Abhishek Upadhyay from arrest in a contested road-rage FIR, while the city's Crime Branch and a SWAT team arrested a social media influencer for posting online threats against a BJP legislator.
Aakriti Singh Dies in Dowry Case; CCTV Shows Fall from Muradnagar Rooftop
Aakriti Singh, a young woman from Bhangel near Ghaziabad, died on Friday after spending four days in hospital, six months after her love marriage to Gaurav, a 25-year-old factory worker in Noida. Her brother Prabhat alleged that Gaurav had originally demanded Rs 30 lakh in cash and a Scorpio SUV as dowry before the wedding. The family was unable to afford the demands, so the engagement was called off. The two sides had even reached a settlement at Muradnagar police station over the dowry dispute. Despite this, Gaurav and Aakriti continued speaking and eventually married. The night of her death, CCTV footage — which surfaced on Saturday afternoon — showed Aakriti suddenly falling from the second floor of Gaurav's three-storey house in Muradnagar. Bystanders nearby rushed to her and had her taken to hospital, where she died four days later. Upon learning of her death, Gaurav, his parents, and his two sisters all fled the house. Police registered an FIR against all five and began a search for the accused. Her brother alleged that Gaurav had repeatedly beaten Aakriti over her failure to bring the Scorpio as dowry, and that he ultimately pushed her from the rooftop on the night captured on camera. [3]
Social Media Influencer Haji Salman Held for Online Threats Against BJP MLA
Ghaziabad police arrested social media influencer Haji Salman on September 8, 2026, following his alleged posting of online threats directed at a BJP Member of the Legislative Assembly. The operation involved the city's Crime Branch working in coordination with a Special Weapons and Tactics team deployed from Chittorgarh. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) SN Tiwari confirmed the arrest and outlined details of the operation. Salman, described in the ETV Bharat report as an influencer, was identified as the individual behind the threatening posts targeting the BJP lawmaker. The deployment of a SWAT unit alongside the Crime Branch underscored the seriousness with which authorities treated the case. The inter-city coordination — bringing in a SWAT team from Chittorgarh rather than using only local resources — suggested that the operation had been planned and executed with care. The use of specialized force against an individual accused of online threats drew attention and reflected a pattern of UP law enforcement treating digital threats against elected officials as a serious criminal matter warranting a swift and decisive response. The case added to a growing list of social media-related arrests in the region during 2026. [5]
Supreme Court Shields Journalist Abhishek Upadhyay from Arrest in Ghaziabad FIR
The Supreme Court of India granted protection to journalist Abhishek Upadhyay against coercive action arising from a First Information Report registered against him in Ghaziabad. The FIR had been filed in connection with a road-rage incident. Upadhyay approached the Supreme Court to challenge the FIR and seek protection from potential arrest. The bench directed Ghaziabad police to provide him with a copy of the case documents. The court simultaneously directed Upadhyay to approach the Allahabad High Court — the appropriate forum for quashing in Uttar Pradesh — for formal relief. The Supreme Court also issued notice to the state government of Uttar Pradesh in the matter, putting the administration on record as a respondent in a case that raises questions about the use of criminal proceedings against journalists in the state. The court's interim protection shielded Upadhyay from arrest while the matter moves through the prescribed legal route. The PTI-reported development, covered by Telangana Today on August 25, 2026, attracted national attention. The notice to the UP government was viewed as significant, signaling judicial scrutiny over whether the Ghaziabad road-rage FIR was filed on sound grounds or represented an effort to harass a working journalist. [10]
Sources: [3] Bhaskar English · [5] ETV Bharat · [10] Telangana Today