Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Plea Seeking Stay on ‘Udaipur Files’ Release

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea demanding a stay on the release of the film ‘Udaipur Files’ until the conclusion of the Kanwar Yatra.

While declining to hear the matter, the vacation bench noted that the Delhi High Court has already stayed the film’s release, and therefore, there is no need for parallel intervention by the Supreme Court on the same issue.

It is noteworthy that some groups had raised objections to the film, expressing concerns that its release during the religious Kanwar Yatra might incite communal tensions. However, the Supreme Court has now dismissed the plea.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court heard a petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind seeking a ban on the film’s release. The hearing lasted over four hours across two sessions, during which the petitioners raised concerns over the potential social impact of the film.

The bench, however, made it clear that the petitioners should first seek relief through Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, which provides a statutory mechanism for review in such matters.

The court further stated that approaching the court directly is not justified unless appropriate statutory remedies are exhausted first. It emphasized that such petitions are only admissible when available legal avenues have already been pursued.

With this observation, the court declined to grant any relief at this stage and advised the petitioners to take up the matter with the appropriate statutory forum.