Overview
- The Central Board of Film Certification posted on X that public exhibition of the uncertified documentary 'Prisoner No. 626710 is Present' would violate the 1952 Cinematograph Act unless a specific exemption is granted, and it tagged IIIT Hyderabad to take action.
- IIIT Hyderabad’s director cancelled the KRB auditorium booking and ordered that no public or private screenings of the uncertified film be held in any institute space after receiving the CBFC notice, with a campus email saying no permission had been sought.
- Student organisers called off the planned Friday screening after the institute's ban, ending an event that was scheduled to mark Political Prisoners’ Day and the sixth anniversary of Umar Khalid’s arrest.
- A separate planned showing at NLSIU Bengaluru was earlier postponed after opposition from the ABVP, reflecting how external political pressure and campus safety concerns have affected similar events.
- The case underscores how statutory censorship rules, university risk management and the use of tough charges such as the UAPA in Khalid’s long detention combine to create a chilling effect on campus discussion and could push organisers to seek formal CBFC exemptions or off-campus venues.