Delhi High Court Seeks Clarification on Supreme Court Remarks As "Udaipur Files” Movie Nears Release

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (10 July) sought clarity from parties involved in petitions against the release of “Udaipur Files,” a film based on the gruesome murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal, following recent remarks by the Supreme Court in related proceedings.

According to PTI report, a division bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal questioned whether the Supreme Court’s oral observation effectively permitted the film’s release.

“In newspapers we saw the matter was in SC, which was refused, saying ‘let the screening go on’,” the Supreme Court bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi noted during Thursday’s hearing.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing petitioners seeking to block the film, clarified in the HC that the Supreme Court merely declined to urgently list the matter.

“Mentioning was rejected, not the request for stay. The SC did not even see the case file,” Sibal told the court, asking for time to seek clarification on the apex court’s oral remarks.

On Wednesday (9 July), the Delhi High Court had directed the producer of “Udaipur Files” to arrange a screening for those petitioning to stop its release.

The film is slated to hit theatres on 11 July.

Petitioner Mohammed Javed, the eighth accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, had argued that the movie could inflame communal tensions and prejudice the ongoing trial related to Lal’s murder.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing on behalf of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), had stated in the High Court that all contentious material identified during the certification process had already been removed by the censor board.

Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, was brutally murdered in June 2022, by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous.

The accused later released a video stating the act was in retaliation for Lal’s alleged social media post supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma following her controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed.

The National Investigation Agency investigated the case, charging the accused under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The trial remains ongoing before the special NIA court in Jaipur.

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