HC seeks reply from Centre, censor board on Sharjeel Imam’s plea against film on 2020 Delhi riots

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought responses from the Union government and the Central Board of Film Certification on a plea moved by activist Sharjeel Imam seeking to postpone the release of a film about the riots that took place in Delhi in February 2020, PTI reported.

The court also issued notices to the Delhi Police and makers of the film 2020 Delhi.

Imam, who is in jail, has been charged with conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in connection with the riots in the national capital.

The film, based on the riots and protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, is scheduled to release on Saturday.

The movie trailer shows a person seemingly based on Imam, as the main character.

Devendra Maalviya, the scriptwriter and director of the film, also serves as an advisor to the Central Board of Film Certification, ThePrint reported.

Imam has claimed that the film could prejudice the judicial process not just in his case, but affect several trial and bail applications pending in the courts.

“A film which seeks to portray a false, fabricated and fictional story as a story which is ‘based on true events’ and wrongly brand the petitioner as a ‘terrorist’ or ‘traitor’ will surely have a grave prejudicial effect on the trial, which is yet to even commence,” Bar and Bench quoted Imam as having…

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