The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is reportedly planning to screen a documentary on jailed terror accused Umar Khalid at its KRB Auditorium on Friday, 18 September 2026, despite the film not having been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The documentary, “Prisoner No. 626710 is Present,” directed by filmmaker Lalit Vachani, was scheduled for an 8 PM screening on the IIIT-H campus as part of an event titled “Screening for Political Prisoners’ Day.” The event invitation circulated among students described the programme as an occasion to discuss the alleged suppression of political dissent and the detention of political activists.
IIIT Hyderabad is showing documentary on Umar Khalid.
Director Sandeep Shukla invited Neha Bora also.
Government is sleeping.@JoshiPralhad pic.twitter.com/xqpIP6cbYk
— Gems of Indian Academia (@GemsofAcademia) September 16, 2026
The CBFC intervened on Thursday, 17 September 2026, publicly flagging the proposed screening. In a post on X, the certification board stated that “public screening of a documentary film that has not yet been certified by the CBFC is a violation of the Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption has been sought under the Act.” It tagged IIIT-H and said its authorities “may take note for necessary action.”
Public Screening of a Documentary film that has not yet been Certified by the CBFC is a violation of the Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption has been sought under the Act. Authorities of @iiit_hyderabad may take note for necessary action. pic.twitter.com/KeZlkbqrFn
— CBFC केंद्रीय फिल्म प्रमाणन बोर्ड (@CBFC_Bharat) September 17, 2026
The Cinematograph Act itself provides for exemptions. Section 9 empowers the Central Government, through a written order and subject to conditions and restrictions, to exempt a film or class of films from provisions of the Act.
Event Centred on Umar Khalid and ‘Political Prisoners’
According to the invitation for the IIIT-H event, the screening was being organised to mark Political Prisoners’ Day, with organisers linking the occasion to the death anniversary of Jatindra Nath Das, the revolutionary associated with Bhagat Singh who died in 1929 after a prolonged hunger strike in Lahore jail.
The invitation then drew a direct parallel with Umar Khalid, noting that he was arrested six years ago and arguing that his case represented the condition of political prisoners in India.
The organisers alleged that Khalid and other political activists had been subjected to arbitrary detention and described the cases against them as part of a broader suppression of dissent. The invitation also referred to cases involving activists including G.N. Saibaba, Father Stan Swamy, Pranab Doley and Akriti Choudhary.
The film itself focuses specifically on Umar Khalid. Khalid, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University research scholar, was arrested in September 2020 in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots. He faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other provisions and remains in custody.
Notably, the invitation presented Khalid’s case from the perspective of alleged political persecution and called for fair and speedy trials and repeal of what organisers described as “draconian acts.”
IIIT-H Distances Itself From the Proposed Screening; Cancels Screening
Following the CBFC’s intervention, reports said the student organisers decided to cancel the proposed screening.
IIIT-H subsequently sought to distance itself from the programme.
The institute said that neither IIIT-H nor any of its recognised student clubs, cells or organisations had organised or hosted a screening of an uncertified film. It also stated that it follows established procedures for official campus events and that unauthorised activities should not be linked to the institute or its recognised student bodies.
Thus, while the event was advertised with the KRB Auditorium, IIIT-H as the venue, the institute has maintained that the programme was not an official event of the university or its recognised student organisations.
Not the First Controversy Over the Documentary
The proposed Hyderabad screening comes days after a similar controversy at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.
The same documentary had been scheduled to be screened there on September 14 by the student-run Law and Society Committee. The programme was subsequently postponed after opposition from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which objected to the screening and sought its cancellation. The student committee later cited “logistical and security considerations” for postponing the programme while saying that it intended to hold the screening later.
The controversy subsequently expanded into a political dispute, with Karnataka Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad publicly defending Khalid and criticising ABVP’s opposition to the screening.
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