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Kanhaiya Lal murder case: SC refuses urgent hearing on stay of movie ‘Udaipur Files’
The petitioner, Mohammad Javed, is one of the eight accused facing trial for the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in June 2022.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down the request for an urgent hearing on a petition seeking a stay on the release of the movie ‘Udaipur Files’ based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan.
Hearing a plea filed by one of the accused, Mohammad Javed, alleging that the release of the movie on July 11 will impact his right to fair trial, a bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said, “You make a request before the concerned court on the opening day.” The top court will reopen after vacation on July 14.
Advocate Pyoli, representing the petitioner, requested for an urgent hearing alleging that the trial of the case is at a crucial juncture.
“The movie is regarding a murder case where the trial is at a crucial stage. Witnesses are being produced and the release of the movie will hamper my right to a fair trial,” she told the apex court.
The lawyer further raised objections about the portrayal of the accused in the movie. “They are portraying the incident as a true story, reflecting only the prosecution side. Hence, I am seeking a stay on the release of the movie.”
Javed is one of the eight accused facing trial for the murder of Kanhaiya Lal in June 2022. Lal was killed in Udaipur for sharing a social media post endorsing the remarks made against Prophet Muhammad by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. She made the comments during a television debate in May 2022.
Lal was murdered with a cleaver and the assailants, who were soon arrested by the Rajasthan police, even prepared a video claiming responsibility for the murder. They also brandished the weapon used for the crime.
Considering the sensitivity of the case, the matter was probed by the National Investigation Agency and the accused was charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The trial in the case is pending before a special NIA court in Jaipur.
