Delhi HC Clears ‘Udaipur Files’ for Release Despite Murder Accused’s Objection!

The Delhi High Court has refused to stop the release of the film Udaipur Files, based on the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal. The movie will be released in theatres tomorrow as planned.

A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela dismissed the plea to halt the film, saying the petitioner could not make a strong enough case. The court noted that the producer had invested his life savings in the project and that stopping the release would cause financial harm.

The judges also said that since the film had already been cleared by the Censor Board, and there was no evidence that its screening would affect the trial, there was no reason to interfere.

A day earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had rejected all appeals challenging the film’s certification, allowing it to be released.

The petitioner, Mohd. Javed—an accused in the murder case—argued that the film could prejudice the trial, as dialogues had allegedly been taken from the charge sheet and the title itself referred to the Kanhaiya Lal murder. His counsel, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, insisted that the right to a fair trial must come first.

However, the government’s counsel said that the decision to allow the film’s release was taken after due consideration. The producer’s lawyer, senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, argued that the movie did not mention the accused’s name or specific role and that tickets had already been sold. He added that making the film was part of the producer’s right to freedom of speech.