CBFC asks for action against proposed screening of Umar Khalid documentary at IIIT Hyderabad

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Thursday (September 17, 2026) asked IIIT Hyderabad authorities to take action against the proposed screening of Prisoner No. 626710 is Present on its campus. It is a documentary on activist Umar Khalid, who has been in judicial custody over the past six years in the “larger conspiracy” case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots.

“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,” the CBFC said in a post on X, tagging a screenshot showing that the documentary was to be screened at KRB Auditorium inside the institution’s campus at 8 p.m. on Friday (September 18, 2026).