NALSAR students holds screening of Umar Khalid’s documentary:Act in protest against film’s cancellation; CBFC says it is not certified

Students of Hyderabad’s NALSAR University of Law screened a documentary on Umar Khalid on campus late on Wednesday evening. According to a student, the screening was organised in support of jailed activist Umar Khalid. The documentary is titled ‘Prisoner Number 626710 Is Present’. The screening of this documentary, made by filmmaker Lalit Vachani, had been cancelled at IIIT Hyderabad. In protest, NALSAR students screened it. IIIT Hyderabad Warns of Action Against 8 Students IIIT Hyderabad had warned of action against 8 students associated with a campus platform. The platform wanted to initiate discussions on caste, merit and politics, but the group was not granted permission. These students are associated with ‘No Tyrants, No Silence’. NTNS had proposed screening the documentary on Umar Khalid at the IIIT Hyderabad campus on 18 September. The screening was cancelled following an objection from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). CBFC had cited the law On 17 September, the CBFC said that a public screening of an uncertified documentary would violate the Cinematograph Act. The board also said that obtaining a special exemption was necessary for such a screening. On 19 September, ABVP Bengaluru claimed that the proposed screening of the documentary at the National Law School of India University (NLSUI) had been cancelled. The screening had initially been postponed. There was a proposal to show it at the university, but the RSS-linked student organisation ABVP had strongly opposed it. Umar Khalid is accused in the February 2020 riots Umar Khalid was arrested in September 2020. A case has been registered against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He has been described as the “main conspirator” in the riots that took place in Delhi in February 2020. Fifty-three people were killed and more than 700 were injured in the riots. ​