New Delhi, July 11 A day before its scheduled release, the Delhi High Court halted the screening of 'Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder', drawing strong reactions from the victim’s family. Yash Sahu, son of Kanhaiya Lal, whose 2022 murder in Rajasthan's Udaipur shocked the nation, expressed disappointment over the court’s decision, saying the film aimed to reveal the truth behind the incident but is now being “suppressed”.
Speaking to IANS, he said, “I want to appeal to the government. It’s been three years, and we still haven’t received justice... A film based on the true incident was coming out to reveal the truth, but even that has now been suppressed.”
The film, based on the brutal 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, was scheduled to hit theatres on Friday. However, the Delhi High Court, in a last-minute decision on Thursday, stayed its release until further notice.
The decision came while hearing petitions challenging the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)'s clearance for the film.
“Two days ago, the Supreme Court rejected a petition filed by one of the accused in my father’s murder case, Javed, and allowed the film’s release. So we expected the High Court to do the same. But the High Court has stayed the film until further decision. This case concerns the Central government, and I hope the Centre will intervene. The film is about terrorism, not against any particular community,” Sahu said.
The stay was ordered by a division bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal, after hearing two petitions, one filed by Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind and the other by journalist Prashant Tandon.
The petitioners argued that the film’s release could incite communal tensions and pose a threat to public order given the sensitive subject matter.
The court stated that the stay would remain in effect until the Union government examines and responds to the revision application filed by Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind against the CBFC’s decision to certify the film.
The development has stirred strong reactions, particularly from Kanhaiya Lal’s family, who view the film as a medium to expose the truth and demand justice.
Earlier, the Central Board of Film Certification had ordered 150 cuts in the film, adding it to the long list of films that have been subjected to censorship.
Kanhaiya Kumar was killed for allegedly sharing a social media post in support of a Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson, Nupur Sharma.
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