On Wednesday, the Supreme Court allowed the release of the film ‘Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder’, declining to urgently list a petition opposing its screening scheduled for July 11.

The petition was presented before a bench consisting of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, with Advocate Pyoli representing Mohammed Javed, who is the eighth accused in the case and currently facing trial.

Javed requested a stay on the film’s release until the conclusion of the trial, arguing that its release would infringe upon his right to a fair trial. The accused sought an urgent hearing for the petition, noting that the film is set to premiere this coming Friday.

Nevertheless, the bench denied the request for an urgent listing prior to the film’s release and instructed the counsel to bring the matter before the appropriate bench upon its reopening on July 14. When the counsel pointed out that the film would be released in the interim, Justice Dhulia remarked, “Let it be released.”

As reported by Live Law, the petitioner argued that the film, which is slated for release on July 11, seemed to be communally provocative based on its trailer and promotional content.

The petitioner claimed that releasing such a film at this time, which depicts the accused as guilty and presents the narrative as definitively true, could significantly bias the ongoing legal proceedings.

He referenced Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, which grants the Central Government special revisional authority to revoke a film’s certification in the interest of the public, asserting that this authority should be exercised.

On Monday, the Islamic cleric’s organization, Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, filed a petition with the Delhi High Court against the film’s release, arguing that it is divisive along communal lines. The film is based on the real-life Kanhaiya Lal murder case.

In June 2022, Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor from Udaipur in Rajasthan, was viciously killed by Mohammad Riyaz Attari and Ghaus Mohammad, who slit his throat.

The assailants subsequently released a video asserting that the murder was an act of revenge for Kanhaiya Lal supposedly sharing a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma, a former spokesperson for the BJP, shortly after she made contentious remarks about the Prophet.

The National Investigation Agency conducted an investigation into the case, and charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Indian Penal Code have been filed against the accused. The trial is currently underway at the Special NIA Court in Jaipur.