2022 Kanhaiya Lal murder case accused moves Supreme Court against release of ‘Udaipur Files’ film

A man accused in the 2022 Kanhaiya Lal murder case has moved the Supreme Court seeking to stop the release of the Hindi film Udaipur Files, arguing that the movie, which is said to be based on the murder case, will violate his right to a fair trial, Live Law reported on Tuesday.

The writ petition has been filed by Mohammed Javed, who is one of the eight persons accused in the murder case. He has sought that the release of the film be postponed until the trial in the matter concludes. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on Friday.

In June 2022, Lal, a tailor, was killed in Rajasthan’s Udaipur for purportedly sharing a social media post in support of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party Spokesperson Nupur Sharma. She had made disparaging remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a television debate in May 2022.

The assailants and several other persons accused in the matter were arrested by the Rajasthan Police. A video showed two men claiming responsibility for the killing of Lal as they brandished the cleavers used in the murder.

The murder case was investigated by the National Investigation Agency and the persons accused in the matter were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The trial is underway in a Special NIA Court in Jaipur.

The petitioner argued that...

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