SC asks Centre to ‘immediately’ decide on ‘Udaipur Files’ certification

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to “immediately” decide the revision pleas filed against the CBFC certification granted to the film ‘Udaipur Files’.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi was dealing with a plea filed by film producer Amit Johnny, who has challenged the Delhi High Court’s order that had temporarily stayed the release of the movie based on the Kanhaiya Lal murder case.

In a brief hearing, the Justice Kant-led Bench asked the panel constituted by the Centre under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act to decide the revision pleas “immediately without loss of time”.

Section 6 vests the Centre with adequate powers to declare a film to be uncertified or pass orders providing for interim measures, including suspension of the film from public exhibition.

Posting the matter for further hearing on July 21, the apex court 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.”

The film revolves around the brutal murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, in June 2022 by Mohammad Riyaz Attari and Ghaus Mohammad by slitting his throat.

One of the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, Javed, had filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court and has sought 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.

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 Central Board of Film Certification (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.

Further, it had ordered that the prayer for interim relief, if made, will also be considered and decided.

IANS