New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) The Supreme Court is slated to resume hearing on Monday a plea filed by the producer of the film ‘Udaipur Files’ challenging the Delhi High Court’s order that had temporarily stayed the release of the movie based on the Kanhaiya Lal murder case.

The film, slated to be released on July 11, revolves around the brutal murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, in June 2022 by Mohammad Riyaz Attari and Ghaus Mohammad by slitting his throat.

As per the causelist published on the website of the Apex Court, a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi will also take up for hearing a plea filed by one Javed, one of the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, seeking a stay on the release of ‘Udaipur Files’, arguing that the release of the film could prejudice the ongoing trial proceedings pending before the Special NIA court.

In the previous hearing held on Friday, Justice Kant-led had asked the panel constituted by the Centre under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act to decide “immediately without any loss of time” the revision pleas filed against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certification granted to the controversial film.

It had asked the parties to join the proceedings before the Centre’s panel and extend their full cooperation and assistance for an early adjudication of the revision petition.

Posting the matter for further hearing on July 21, the Apex Court had remarked, “We can wait for some time. We are told that a committee has been formed, and the Union (government) is looking into it. We can have the benefit of the Union of India’s view. Suppose the Union says there is nothing wrong with the movie, then we will see that. If they recommend some cuts, then also we can peruse the same. If the Centre was not taking up the matter, then it was different.”

As per the lawyers connected with the case, so far, the Union government has not communicated its decision, including any interim order, on the revision plea filed under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

A day before its scheduled release, the Delhi High Court, in its order passed on July 10, had temporarily halted the release of the controversial movie till the Centre decides the revision plea of the petitioners challenging the grant of the CBFC certification.

A Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal was dealing with a batch of pleas, including a plea filed by Maulana Arshad Madani, the President of the Islamic clerics’ body Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, seeking a direction to quash the CBFC certification granted to the film.

As per the petition filed by Maulana Arshad Madani, the CBFC certification was granted in violation of Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Guidelines for Certification of Films for Public Exhibition, since the release of the film ‘Udaipur Files’ has the potential to inflame communal tensions and disrupt public order, severely undermining the fabric of religious harmony in the country.

The Chief Justice Upadhyaya-led Bench allowed the petitioners as well as the general public to file within two days revision plea before the Union government under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act.

The Delhi High Court had asked the Centre to decide the revision pleas within a week after giving an opportunity of hearing to the producer.

–IANS

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