Udaipur Files Case: Supreme Court Declines To Lift Stay On Film, Asks Centre To Take Decision Immediately

The Supreme Court is set to hear two petitions related to the controversial film Udaipur Files, which has faced legal hurdles ahead of its scheduled release on July 11.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to lift the stay on the film Udaipur Files, which has encountered legal hurdles ahead of its scheduled release on July 11.

According to a report by Bar and Bench, the Supreme Court refused to immediately set aside the Delhi High Court’s interim order staying the release of Udaipur Files, a film based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli in Udaipur.

The hearing has been deferred to July 21, with the Court asking the Centre to make a decision through the appropriate statutory authority by then.

Udaipur Files row: On a plea filed by one of the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal Murder case against the release of the film “Udaipur Files”, the Supreme Court stated that the matter will be decided by the Central government, as a revision plea against the film’s release is pending… — ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2025

A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi stated that the Central government may proceed with reviewing the film, as directed by the High Court.

“We will keep the matter pending. We can benefit from the Union of India’s view before the High Court. Suppose the Union says there’s nothing wrong—then we will consider that. If they recommend cuts, we can peruse those as well. If the Centre wasn’t addressing the matter, it would have been different. We are told a committee has been formed and the Union is examining it… we can wait for a day or two,” the Court observed.

The Court further directed that the committee reviewing objections to the film must take an immediate decision.

“We expect that the committee will decide the revision plea immediately, without any loss of time. Post the matter for further consideration on July 21,” the Court ordered.

The apex court also directed the Centre to consider the version of the accused in the 2022 Udaipur murder case.

The Competent Authority of the Central government has taken cognisance of the revision petition regarding the film’s release and is scheduled to hear the matter at 2:30 pm today, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant stated, deferring the hearing on merits to July 21 (Monday).

About Udaipur Files

The film is based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, Rajasthan, who was killed in broad daylight by Mohammad Riyaz Attari and Ghaus Mohammad.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi is currently hearing two separate matters:

A plea by the film’s producer, Amit Johnny, challenging the Delhi High Court’s interim order halting the movie’s release.

A petition by Javed, one of the accused in the murder case, arguing that the film’s release could compromise the fairness of the ongoing trial.