HC stays release of ‘Udaipur Files’, asks Centre to decide

HC DIRECTED THE CENTRE TO TAKE A CALL ON THE CBFC CERTIFICATE CANCELLATION APPLICATION WITHIN 7 DAYS

- Shruti Kakkar

The Delhi high court on Thursday stayed the release of the film Udaipur Files based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal. The film, produced by Amit Jani, was scheduled for release on Friday.

A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Anish Dayal asked the petitioner, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani, to approach the Centre in two days to seek cancellation of the film’s CBFC (Centre and Central Board of Film Certification) certificate, clarifying that the stay will be in effect until the government's decision on the interim plea.

The judges directed the Centre to also take a call on the cancellation application within 7 days.

To be sure, section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 empowers the Centre to declare a film uncertified and pass certain interim measures such as suspension of the certificate upon an application by the aggrieved person.