Latest news with #UdaipurFiles
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Business Standard
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
SC says no order issued as it declines urgent listing in Udaipur Files case
The Supreme Court on Thursday clarified that it has not issued any order in connection with the release of the Udaipur Files movie, stating that it had merely declined an urgent listing of the matter on Wednesday, LiveLaw reported. The clarification follows a query by the Delhi High Court, which had asked the parties to clarify the apex court's observations in proceedings related to the film's release. Kapil Sibal raises Delhi HC concern over SC's oral observation Appearing for the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Sibal said the Delhi High Court was hesitant to pass an order on the Jamiat's petition due to media reports suggesting the Supreme Court had refused to intervene. 'I filed the petition before the Delhi High Court. The HC Chief Justice asked me if there was a matter pending here. That has not even been heard or listed. Oral observation made by your lordship,' Sibal told the Supreme Court bench. Background: The Kanhaiya Lal murder and the film's controversy Udaipur Files is a movie based on the murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor who was killed in Udaipur in June 2022, allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. Soon after the attack, the assailants released a video claiming responsibility, saying the murder was in retaliation for a social media post Lal had shared in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who had made controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammed. SC earlier declined urgent listing of plea to stop film On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had declined to urgently list a plea challenging the release of the film. During the brief hearing, the court had orally remarked, 'Let the film be released.' The comment came after a lawyer representing one of the accused in the murder case argued that the film's release could prejudice the ongoing trial. Delhi HC seeks clarification, directs screening for petitioners In light of the Supreme Court's oral remarks, the Delhi High Court on Thursday asked advocates whether the apex court had explicitly permitted the release. 'In newspapers, we saw the matter was in SC, which was refused, saying 'let the screening go on',' the High Court bench noted. Notably, the SC's order and the High Court's interim directive were both issued on Wednesday. The Delhi High Court had directed the producer of Udaipur Files to arrange a private screening for those seeking a ban. Film release on July 11; Delhi HC petition on communal content pending The film is scheduled to be released in theatres on July 11. The Delhi High Court is hearing a separate petition by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind seeking to stop the release on grounds that the film is allegedly communally provocative. (with inputs from PTI)
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Delhi HC seeks clarification on SC's observations on 'Udaipur Files' movie
The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a clarification from the parties on the observations made by the Supreme Court in related proceedings pertaining to release of movie "Udaipur Files" which is based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal murder case . A top court bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi on Wednesday refused to urgently list a plea challenging screening of the movie and orally observed: "Let the film be released". The top court observation was made after a counsel, appearing for one of the accused in the murder case, said the release of the film will prejudice the trial. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 21st Century Skills Start with Confident Communication Planet Spark Learn More Undo The high court on Wednesday directed the producer of "Udaipur Files" to arrange its screening for those seeking a ban on it. The film is scheduled for release on July 11. On Thursday, a division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal of the high court referred to the apex court's observations made earlier and asked the lawyers whether the apex court allowed the release of the movie. Live Events "In newspapers we saw the matter was in SC, which was refused, saying 'let the screening go on'," the HC bench said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners seeking a ban on the movie, submitted that only listing of the matter was requested before the apex court, not a stay. "Mentioning was rejected, not the request for stay. The SC did not even see the case file," Sibal said, requesting time to get a clarification from the top court on Wednesday's observation on release of the film. The apex court's observations on the issue was reported in media. The high court would hear the plea again at 2.30 PM. Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal was murdered in June 2022 allegedly by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous. The assailants had later released a video claiming the murder was in reaction to the tailor allegedly sharing a social media post in support of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma after her controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed. The case was probed by the National Investigation Agency and the accused were booked under stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), besides provisions under the Indian Penal Code. The trial is pending before the special NIA court in Jaipur.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Hindutva activist with a long list of cases is the man behind ‘Udaipur Files' movie on Kanhaiya Lal killing
Last week, Udaipur Police arrested two people for allegedly issuing a call to boycott a movie on the 2022 beheading of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli. This week, Maulana Arshad Madani, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president and principal of Darul Uloom Deoband, said he had filed petitions in the Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat High Courts seeking a stay on the July 11 release of the Udaipur Files; the Supreme Court on Wednesday, however, refused to stay its release. Amid calls for a boycott and promotions online, as the Udaipur Files hurtles towards a controversy, the man behind the Vijay Raaz-starrer is its producer Amit Jani, who is known to plant himself at the centre of contentious issues. Jani first hit the headlines in July 2012, when he led three other members of his outfit to vandalise the statue of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at Lucknow's Ambedkar Park with a hammer. Jani had demanded in a press conference hours earlier that the Samajwadi Party (SP)-led state government remove Mayawati's statues, following up on the party's electoral promise. Else, he threatened, his Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, modelled after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and founded around 2010, would do the needful. The outfit took inspiration from the regional identity politics of the MNS. A native of Meerut in UP, the 44-year-old was also booked in February 2012 for showing black flags to then Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi. In May 2016, he was arrested for allegedly threatening then JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid. He was accused of planting a loaded gun and a letter threatening to behead the two JNU students in a bus. In April 2017, in the backdrop of some students allegedly supporting the Pakistani cricket team, he allegedly put up hoardings on the Delhi-Dehradun highway asking Kashmiris to 'leave the state or face consequences'. He was subsequently arrested. That July, he was booked in another case for allegedly calling for SP leader Azam Khan's tongue to be cut off for his controversial remarks about security personnel. In October 2017, the UP Police arrested him for sharing a modified image of the Taj Mahal with saffron flags on the dome and its minarets, on social media, and also giving a call for a gathering of saffron and Hindu organisations at the Taj Mahal. In December 2018, following the BJP's loss in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, his outfit was booked for allegedly putting up 'Yogi versus Modi' hoardings in Lucknow, highlighting 'Jumlebaazi' vs Yogi's 'Hindutva brand.' In February 2019, following the Pulwama terror attack, he put up a sign, 'Kashmiris not allowed', at his Noida hotel. However, the poster was removed by the time police reached, and OYO, the hospitality chain of leased and franchised hotels, said it had delisted the hotel. Ironically, while Jani has made a movie on the Udaipur murder, he had announced a 2019 Lok Sabha ticket for Shambhulal Regar, who, in December 2017, hacked migrant labourer Mohammad Afrazul Khan in a similar manner in Rajsamand and then burnt the body. Like the Udaipur case, Regar too recorded a video of the incident that went viral. In 2017, Jani floated the Shivpal Yadav Youth Brigade, named after SP president Akhilesh Yadav's uncle. Shivpal, who eventually floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) following differences with Akhilesh, made Jani the president of his party's youth wing in November 2019. More recently, Jani also launched a 'Hindu Action Force'. In his affidavit for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, Jani listed 14 pending cases against him in Meerut, Delhi, Amroha, Lucknow, Agra, and Rampur. These included cases for vandalising a Shiv Sena office in Meerut in 2010, the vandalism of the Mayawati statue, dowry harassment, looting, and threatening a doctor. As the release of the Udaipur Files draws closer, Jani has claimed he is receiving death threats on social media for the movie, which also has music by singer Kailash Kher. 'The film's trailer includes the controversial statement by Nupur Sharma, which not only worsened the communal atmosphere across the country but also tarnished the country's image at the international level and negatively impacted our friendly relations with other countries,' said Arshad Madani. On June 28, 2022, two persons — Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad — posed as customers and hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal Teli at his shop in Udaipur over a post shared by him on social media in support of Sharma, a BJP spokesperson who was suspended for her objectionable remarks about the Prophet during a live television debate. On Monday, SP MLA Abu Asim Azmi said in the Maharashtra Assembly that releasing the movie may lead to a law-and-order situation and demanded a prohibition on it. He also moved a Private Member's Bill against those spreading division, insult or violence in the name of religion. Earlier, the Congress and the BJP had traded barbs over the issue in Rajasthan, with former CM Ashok Gehlot attacking the government, saying that 'even after three years of trial, the culprits have not been punished in a case of such a clear nature'. Meanwhile, as the Teli family awaits justice, they have backed the movie and also accompanied Jani to press conferences, temple visits, and meetings with religious leaders and politicians.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘Offending' parts of ‘Udaipur Files' taken down: CBFC to HC
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Wednesday told the Delhi high court that certain offending portions of the movie 'Udaipur Files', relating to the 2022 brutal murder of a tailor Kanhaiya Lal, had been taken down. 'Offending' parts of 'Udaipur Files' taken down: CBFC to HC The CBFC represented by additional solicitor general (ASG) Chetan Sharma submitted before a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Anish Dayal that the board before granting certification to the movie, slated to be released on Friday, had proposed certain cuts, which have been affected. 'We've addressed all the issues as has been raised in the petition. These are the offending portions, references and dialogues, they have all been taken down by the central board. Anything which could have been offensive has been taken down,' Sharma submitted. The movie's producer submitted that the cuts, as suggested by CBFC, had also been implemented. Taking note of the submission, the court suggested the petitioner, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani, to see the edited movie and directed the producer to arrange a special screening on Wednesday. This was after Madani's lawyer Kapil Sibal urged the court to view the edited version of the movie, saying that even if the board had taken down the alleged offending portions, there was still a problem, since its theme was to fuel violence and intended to target a 'particular community'. 'Before we make a decision (to go for screening or not), we're requesting you to go through those cuts and come before us tomorrow. The film needs to be viewed by you,' the court said to Madani's counsel Kapil Sibal. Accordingly, the court, while listing the plea seeking to stall its release and quash the CBFC certificate for Thursday, in its order said, 'In these circumstances we require the producer to arrange the screening of the film at the convenient time'. Even as the high court issued the direction, the Supreme Court in the morning refused to urgently hear a plea filed by one of the accused Mohammad Javed, also seeking a stay. 'You make a request before the concerned court on the opening day (July 14),' a bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, sitting during the partial court working days, said. Madani's plea painted a picture that the movie is 'highly provocative', capable of inciting communal tensions and disturbing public order. It went on to add that even its trailer had the potential to incite communal discord and presented a deeply divisive and inflammatory narrative, since it included references to the sensitive and sub judice matter of Gyanvapi Masjid, currently pending before the Varanasi district court and the Supreme Court and amplified the controversial statement made by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Lal was murdered in June 2022 with a cleaver in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, for allegedly sharing a social media post endorsing the disparaging remarks made against Prophet Muhammad by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. She made the comments while participating in a television debate in May 2022. The assailants, who were arrested by the Rajasthan police, even prepared a video claiming responsibility for the murder. They even displayed the weapon of offence 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.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Delhi HC directs Udaipur Files screening for petitioners
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the producer of 'Udaipur Files', a movie based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal murder case, to arrange a screening of the film for those opposed to its release. The HC's direction came after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the makers of the movie claimed that "objectionable" portions had been removed from the film, and there was no ground to stall its release. The petitions claimed that the movie had the potential to inflame communal tensions and disrupt public order in the country. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal directed the producers to arrange the screening on Wednesday itself for senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, including Maulana Arshad Madani, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president and principal of Darul Uloom, Deoband. The bench asked the petitioners to view the censored version and come back to the court on Thursday. Earlier, Sibal argued that while free speech is protected, "the film's intent appears to fuel communal disharmony". ASG Chetan Sharma, appearing for I&B ministry and CBFC, responded that the censor board had already removed the flagged content. Sibal, however, maintained that the movie's "overall tone remains problematic", and the entire purpose appeared to be to target an entire community. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In IC Markets Learn More Undo The petitioners said while Lal was murdered by two fanatics, the movie's trailer, released on June 26, "falsely" showed the crime being carried out with the complicity of religious heads/leaders of the community. The producer informed the court that the trailer had been removed, but Sibal responded that the damage was already done. The petitioners also claimed that the film violated constitutional morality by weaponising the freedom of expression to weaken the constitutional vision of a plural, inclusive and secular India, and instead attempted to mainstream narratives that would deepen social and religious divisions. Lal was beheaded in his shop in June 2022 by Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous -- who recorded the act and circulated the clip - allegedly for his post supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed.
