The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought clarity from the parties on observations made by the Supreme Court in relation to the release of the movie Udaipur Files, which is based on the 2022 murder of Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal referred to media reports indicating that the Supreme Court had refused urgent listing of a plea seeking a stay on the film’s release and had orally remarked, “Let the film be released.” The high court asked the parties whether this comment by the apex court amounted to permitting the screening of the film, which is scheduled for release on July 11.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners who are seeking a ban on the film, clarified that the top court had only rejected a request for urgent listing and had not adjudicated on the merits of the stay application. “The Supreme Court did not even see the case file. Mentioning was rejected, not the request for stay,” Sibal submitted, while seeking time to get an official clarification from the top court.
The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday directed the producer of Udaipur Files to arrange a screening of the film for the petitioners. The case will now be heard again at 2:30 PM.
The film is centered on the murder of Kanhaiya Lal, who was killed in June 2022, allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. The assailants had released a video claiming that the murder was retaliation for the tailor’s social media post in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma following her remarks on Prophet Mohammed. The case is currently being prosecuted before a special NIA court in Jaipur under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
