Supreme Court defers hearing till July 21 on film 'Udaipur Files', asks filmmakers to await Centre's decision
The panel is scheduled to meet at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi told the filmmakers that the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal tailor murder case can't be compensated for the loss of reputation if the film is released but the filmmakers can be in monetary terms.
The filmmakers had challenged the Delhi High Court order staying the release of the movie.
The Bench asked the Centre's committee to take a decision immediately without loss of time after hearing all the parties.
It also directed the panel to accord hearing to the accused in the murder case.
The film was scheduled to be released on July 11.
On July 10, the Delhi High Court stayed the release till the Centre decides on pleas seeking a permanent ban over the film's potential to "promote disharmony" in society.
The petitions, including one filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president and Darul Uloom Deoband principal Maulana Arshad Madani before the High Court, claims that a trailer of the movie released on June 26 was replete with dialogues and instances that had led to communal disharmony in 2022, and carries every potential to stoke the same sentiments again.
Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal was murdered in June 2022 allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. The assailants later released a video claiming that the murder was in reaction to the tailor allegedly sharing a social media post in support of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma following her controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed.
The case was probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the accused were booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, besides provisions under the Indian Penal Code.
The trial is pending before the special NIA court in Jaipur.
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