NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the screening of the film ‘Udaipur Files’, which is based on the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal.A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said, “Let the film be released,” while asking the petitioner to raise the matter to “the regular bench upon reopening of the court after summer vacation.“The plea was filed by Mohammed Javed, the eighth accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, who claimed the film’s release could prejudice the ongoing trial and affect his right to a fair trial. He argued that the film’s trailer and promotional material appeared “communally provocative” and portrayed the accused as guilty even before the court’s verdict.The film is scheduled to be released on July 11. Javed urged the court to stay the release until the trial concludes.
Delhi HC directs screening for petitioners
Meanwhile, Delhi high court directed the producers of Udaipur Files to arrange a screening of the movie for the petitioners who are seeking a ban on its release. The petitions were heard by a division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal.The pleas, filed by Maulana Arshad Madani of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind and journalist Prashant Tondon, argue that the film promotes hate speech and targets specific communities. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, said that while freedom of speech is protected, the film appears to incite communal tensions and urged the court to watch the film in its entirety.Responding to the concerns, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the ministry and the CBFC, said that the censor board had already removed objectionable content flagged during the certification process.
Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal tailor murder
The film is based on the murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor from Udaipur, Rajasthan, who was killed in June 2022, allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. The attackers claimed the murder was in retaliation for a social media post by Lal supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad, reported PTI.The National Investigation Agency conducted the investigation, and the suspects were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Currently, the proceedings are ongoing at the special NIA court in Jaipur.
