The Supreme Court of India, on July 9, denied an urgent request to list a petition aiming to stop the release of the movie "Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder", which is scheduled to release on July 11.
A bench consisting of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the urgent mention made by Advocate Pyoli. She represented Mohammed Javed, the eighth accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, and requested the court to stay the release of the film, arguing that it could harm her client’s right to a fair trial.
Despite her request, the bench refused to list the matter before the movie’s release. The court stated:
“Let it be released.”
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The judges advised the counsel to bring the matter before the appropriate bench after the court reopens on July 14.
The plea was filed by Mohammed Javed, who is currently facing trial for his alleged role in the brutal murder of Kanhaiya Lal Teli. The incident occurred in June 2022 in Udaipur, Rajasthan, where Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor by profession, was killed allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. A video was later released by the accused, claiming the murder was in response to a social media post by Kanhaiya Lal supporting Nupur Sharma, who had made controversial remarks about the Prophet.
The case is under investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Charges have been filed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. The trial is currently ongoing in the Special NIA Court in Jaipur.
Javed’s petition argued that the trailer and promotional content of Udaipur Files portrayed the accused as guilty, which could mislead the public and negatively impact the judicial process. He urged that the movie’s release be put on hold until the completion of the trial.
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“The release of the film at this stage could severely affect the impartiality of ongoing court proceedings,” the petition said.
The plea also invoked Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, which allows the Central Government to cancel a film's certification in the public interest. It was argued that this power should be used in this case to prevent any prejudice.
Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, an Islamic clerics' organization, has also filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, opposing the release of the film on the grounds that it could promote communal division.