The Supreme Court on Wednesday told the Centre’s committee to take a decision “immediately, without loss of time” on the petitions related to the film “Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder”, considering the urgency shown by the filmmakers.
The top court is hearing two petitions, one by an accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case, and the other by the film’s makers challenging the Delhi High Court’s order that put the release on hold. The film was supposed to release on 11th July but was stayed by the High Court, which felt it could create communal tension.
The Supreme Court said that Article 21 (right to life) will take priority over Article 19 (freedom of speech). The bench, led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, said if the film wrongly affects someone’s reputation, like the accused Mohammad Javed, that can’t be undone, but the filmmakers can be compensated for any financial loss.
The Centre is set to hear all sides, including Mohammad Javed, later today. Meanwhile, the court asked police to assess any death threats received by the filmmakers or Kanhaiya Lal’s family. The next hearing is scheduled for Monday.
