SC refuses to urgently list plea against screening of 'Udaipur Files', says 'let film be released'

The petition was filed by Mohammed Javed, who is facing trial as the eighth accused in the case.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to urgently list a plea challenging the screening of the movie Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder, and said, “Let the film be released.”

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi made the remark after a counsel appearing for one of the accused in the murder case said that release of the film will prejudice the trial in the matter.

The counsel said that the film will be released on July 11 and producers of the movie have put out trailers, raising apprehension that it will affect the trial and violate the accused’s right to a fair trial. “Let the film be released. You mention the plea before the regular bench upon reopening (of the court after summer vacation),” the bench observed as it refused to urgently list the matter.

The petition was filed by Mohammed Javed, who is facing trial as the eighth accused in the case. He sought a stay on the film’s release till the trial is over. The petitioner contended that the film appeared to be “communally provocative” from its trailer and promotional materials, and releasing the movie at this juncture—portraying the accused as guilty and the story as conclusively true—has the potential to seriously prejudice the ongoing proceedings.

Kanhaiya Lal, a Udaipur-based tailor in Rajasthan, was murdered in June 2022, allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous in what is believed to be a hate crime. The assailants later released a video claiming the murder was in response to the tailor allegedly sharing a social media post in support of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma after her controversial comments on Prophet Muhammad.

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The case was probed by the National Investigation Agency, and the accused were booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), in addition to provisions under the Indian Penal Code. The trial is currently pending before the special NIA court in Jaipur.