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The CBFC told the Delhi High Court that it has done a “great job” by directing the “removal/modification” of 55 portions of the movie, ‘Udaipur Files’
The Delhi HC directed the producer of ‘Udaipur Files’ to arrange its screening for those seeking a ban on the film. (Image: Sourced)
The Central Board of Film Certification on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that the movie, Udaipur Filesis not “community specific, but crime specific” while arguing against a plea seeking a ban on it.
During the hearing on the matter, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told the court that it has done a “great job” by directing the “removal/modification” of 55 portions of the movie, which is based on the Kanhaiya Lal murder case from 2022.
“Dialogues of the film have been modified suitably; Nootan Sharma has been removed. The board has done a great job. It directed for removal/modification of 55 portions of the movie. The board is conscious of the fact that you directly or indirectly don’t target a particular community,” said advocate Chetan Sharma appearing for the CBFC. “It’s not a community specific but crime specific movie, which has been made to promote harmony and caution people that harmony is being disrupted by certain foreign elements.”
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, said the movie was targeting a whole community. “The whole film is targeted against a community,” he argued.
Earlier in the day, the high court sought a clarification from the parties on the observations made by the Supreme Court in related proceedings pertaining to the release of movie.
A division bench referred to the Supreme Court’s observations and asked the lawyers whether it allowed the release of the movie. “In newspapers we saw the matter was in SC, which was refused, saying ‘let the screening go on’,” the HC bench said.
Sibal submitted that only listing of the matter was requested before the apex court, not a stay. “Mentioning was rejected, not the request for stay. The SC did not even see the case file,” he said, requesting time to get a clarification from the top court on its observation.
The apex court’s observations on the issue was reported in media. On Wednesday (July 9), an SC bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi refused to urgently list a plea challenging screening of the movie and orally observed: “Let the film be released.”
The observation was made after a counsel, appearing for one of the accused in the murder case, said the film’s release will prejudice the trial. On the same day, the Delhi HC directed the producer to arrange a screening for those seeking a ban on the film, which is scheduled for release on Friday (July 11).
Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal was murdered in June 2022 allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. The assailants had later released a video claiming the murder was in reaction to the tailor allegedly sharing a social media post in support of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma after her controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed.
The case was probed by the National Investigation Agency and the accused were booked under stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), besides provisions under the Indian Penal Code. The trial is pending before the special NIA court in Jaipur.
(With PTI inputs)
Ananya Bhatnagar, Correspondent at CNN-News18, reports on various legal issues and cases in lower courts and the Delhi High Court. He has covered the hanging of the Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, JNU violence, De…Read More
Ananya Bhatnagar, Correspondent at CNN-News18, reports on various legal issues and cases in lower courts and the Delhi High Court. He has covered the hanging of the Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, JNU violence, De… Read More
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