SC to hear on Wednesday plea of accused against release of 'Udaipur Files'

New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) The Supreme Court will on Wednesday hear the plea of the Kanhaiya Lal tailor murder case accused opposing the release of the film based on the matter.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi on Tuesday said the plea of filmmakers challenging the Delhi High Court's decision to stay the release of "Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder" was listed for hearing on July 16.

The film was scheduled to hit the screens last week on July 11.

The petition before the top court 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 in the case is over.

Senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy, appearing for the accused, said the matter relates to the right of fair trial and urged the bench to list to hear their petition along with the pleas of filmmakers.

"We will hear the plea on July 16. Together or separately that we cannot say as of now but we will hear it," the bench told Guruswamy.

On Monday, the top court agreed to hear a plea challenging the Delhi High Court's July 10 decision to stay the release of the film, The film's producers contended that the release was stayed despite the censor board certification. bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said it would hear it on Wednesday or any day thereafter.

On July 10, the Delhi High Court stayed the release till the Centre decides on pleas seeking a permanent ban over the film's potential to "promote disharmony" in society.

The petitions, including one filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president and Darul Uloom Deoband principal Maulana Arshad Madani before the high court, claims that a trailer of the movie released on June 26 was replete with dialogues and instances that had led to communal disharmony in 2022, and carries every potential to stoke the same sentiments again.

Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal was murdered in June 2022 allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. The assailants later released a video claiming that the murder was in reaction to the tailor allegedly sharing a social media post in support of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma following her controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed.

The case was probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the accused were booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, besides provisions under the Indian Penal Code.

The trial is pending before the special NIA court in Jaipur. PTI MNL MNL MIN MIN