The son of Kanhaiya Lal, the Udaipur tailor who was murdered in 2022, on Thursday said that while the film on his father’s death was banned in three days, his murderers haven’t been punished even after three years. The Udaipur Files movie’s producer, Amit Jani, said he will appeal the Delhi high court verdict to the Supreme Court.(PTI file)

Yash Sahu’s statement comes after the Delhi High Court ordered a stay on the release of the film ‘Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder’. The film was scheduled to be released on Friday, July 11.

“Despite having video evidence and everything else, the criminals have not been punished for the last three years. And when someone wants to show the truth to the country through a film, a whole organisation comes forward for it. And within just three days, the film was stayed. But when the criminals have to be punished in a case, this does not happen…” news agency ANI quoted Sahu as saying.

The high court’s stay is temporary and will remain in effect until the Centre decides on Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind’s revision application against the certification granted by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Still, the film producer, Amit Jani, said he will appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court.

“We had screened this film for their lawyer, Kapil Sibal, so even after the screening, he had to oppose it because he had taken fees for it. Today, the high court said that this film is being stayed right now. We are going to the Supreme Court to challenge this decision. They have been asked to go to the Central Government, and the government will give its decision within seven days whether the film is right or wrong…,” he told ANI.

Verdict on the ‘Udaipur Files’

A Delhi High Court division bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal, passed the interim order in the ‘Udaipur Files’ case, halting the movie’s release.

The order came as the court heard two petitions, one by Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind and another by journalist Prashant Tandon, challenging the CBFC’s decision to grant certification to the film.

The petitioners argued that the film’s release could disturb communal harmony and pose a serious threat to public order, given the sensitive nature of the subject.

The Court observed that since the petitioners had been relegated to invoke the revisional remedy under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the film’s release must be put on hold until a decision is made on their application for interim relief.

“We provide that till the grant of interim relief is decided, there shall be a stay on the release of the film,” the bench stated.

The film is based on the 2022 murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, who was brutally killed in broad daylight by two men allegedly angered by a social media post in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The incident had triggered national outrage and raised serious concerns about radicalisation and communal violence.