NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court was on Monday informed that the Union government has given conditional clearance for the release of 'Udaipur Files', a film based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan, by directing six additional modifications.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, however, extended the stay on the film till Thursday, when the court would hear the parties on the decision by the Centre on representations made in terms of the Delhi High Court's order.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the Centre has taken a decision on the film and going further would violate the fundamental rights under Article 19 of the Constitution.
The Centre’s decision would be binding unless it was successfully challenged, the bench said.
Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia sought a direction for the release of the film. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and others appearing for Maulana Arshad Madani, head of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind and accused Javed opposed the plea.
The Delhi HC had on July 10 ordered the Central government to exercise its revisional powers under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act to examine the movie.
A batch of three petitions, including one filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani, were filed before the High Court seeking a ban on the movie based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli's murder in Udaipur, for vilifying Muslims. The movie was slated to be released on July 11.
The bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal of the High Court asked the petitioners to approach the Central government and stayed the movie release in the meantime.
On July 14, a committee was formed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to reconsider the certification of Udaipur Files.
The committee reviewed the content of the film and recommended six additional changes beyond the 55 cuts already implemented by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
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