On 28 June 2022, tailor Kanhaiya Lal was killed in his Udaipur shop by two men who filmed the attack and posted videos citing his social media support for Nupur Sharma's remarks on the Prophet. Both were arrested within hours; a curfew, a statewide internet shutdown and rallies across Rajasthan followed. The NIA took over the case under the UAPA, and as of October 2026 the trial in Jaipur has not reached a verdict.
Key takeaways
- Kanhaiya Lal, 48, was killed in his Udaipur shop on 28 June 2022; the two men seen in the videos were arrested in Rajsamand the same evening.
- The 30 June "Sarva Hindu Samaj" march in Udaipur drew "as many as 1,000" (The Quint) or "thousands" (PTI).
- Police say Lal's 15 June threat complaint was settled by a written compromise; his family and the BJP say he was denied protection.
- The NIA charged 11 people, two of them Pakistani nationals. No verdict had been given by October 2026.
Background: the post and the earlier arrest
BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma was suspended on 5 June 2022 over remarks about Prophet Muhammad on a television debate Scroll. In Udaipur, a neighbouring shopkeeper complained that Kanhaiya Lal had shared a Facebook post supporting her, and police booked him under IPC sections 295A and 153A. ADG Hawa Singh Ghumaria said Lal "was arrested on June 10 and released on bail by the court the next day" The Kashmir Walla, citing The Indian Express. Lal later told police a child had shared the post by mistake; his adult sons denied any role Scroll.
The killing and the arrests on 28 June
On the afternoon of 28 June, two men entered Lal's shop posing as customers. Police said one attacked him with a cleaver while the other recorded it on a phone PTI via Business Standard. The men then posted videos claiming responsibility and threatening Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Police asked media not to show the footage The Quint. The NIA later said a co-worker was also attacked Deccan Herald (PTI). The two men, identified by police as Mohammad Riyaz Attari (also spelt Akhtari) and Ghouse Mohammad, were arrested in Rajsamand that evening.
Curfew, internet shutdown and unrest
As the videos spread, shopkeepers shut their shutters. A mob threw stones at a mosque in Dhan Mandi and set two motorcycles on fire in Hathipole before police dispersed it. For several hours, shopkeepers stopped police from removing the body, demanding the killers' arrest and Rs 50 lakh and a government job for the family, until officials gave assurances PTI via Business Standard.
At 8 pm a curfew was declared in seven police station areas: Dhan Mandi, Ghanta Ghar, Hathi Pole, Amba Mata, Suraj Pole, Bhupalpura and Savina Business Today. Section 144 prohibitory orders were imposed statewide for a month. About 600 more police were sent to the city PTI via Business Standard.
Reports on the internet shutdown differ. PTI first reported mobile internet cut "for the next 24 hours"; on 29 June it reported a suspension in all 33 districts Outlook (PTI). On 3 July the Udaipur collector said mobile internet would stay off until noon on 4 July, as curfew was relaxed by day Outlook (PTI).
Protests and rallies
Lal was cremated on 29 June before a large crowd Outlook (PTI). The same day, a constable was critically injured in a sword attack at a demonstration in Rajsamand and protesters were detained at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Protests were also reported in Lucknow, Bengaluru, Chikmagalur, Jammu and Kanpur The Quint.
On 30 June, Hindu organisations held a "Sarva Hindu Samaj" march from Udaipur's Town Hall to the collectorate. ADG Dinesh MN said it was permitted, with curfew relaxed on the route, and that though called a silent march, some members raised religious slogans Outlook (PTI). Crowd estimates differ:
- PTI: "Thousands of people" took part, and the rally "was held peacefully" Outlook (PTI).
- The Quint: "as many as 1,000" protesters; it reported stone-pelting near a communally tense area and riot police moving in The Quint.
- Scroll: police gave no official statement on stones being thrown; an unnamed officer told NDTV the procession "was peaceful, by and large" Scroll.
Markets in most of Jaipur stayed shut on 30 June after a bandh call by a traders' body and the VHP Outlook (PTI). On 3 July "thousands of people", per PTI, joined a Sarva Hindu Samaj demonstration at Jaipur's Statue Circle. RSS, VHP and BJP leaders attended and demanded the death penalty for the accused; police said it was peaceful Outlook (PTI).
Timeline
Killing and arrests
Lal killed in his shop; two men arrested in Rajsamand; curfew from 8 pm PTI.
NIA takes over
NIA re-registers the case under IPC and UAPA; ASI suspended Verdictum; mobile internet off in all 33 districts Outlook (PTI).
Udaipur march, Jaipur bandh
Sarva Hindu Samaj march in Udaipur and Gehlot meets the family Scroll; markets shut in Jaipur Outlook (PTI).
Bail denied to five
Rajasthan High Court upholds denial of bail; trial continues LiveLaw.
The threat complaint: what police did
On 15 June, Lal told Dhan Mandi police he was getting death threats and that people had been watching his shop. His letter said his name and photo had been circulated in a community group The Kashmir Walla, citing The Indian Express. Whether police failed him is contested.
Family, BJP and PUCL account
Claim · Family, BJP, PUCL BJP state chief Satish Poonia said "the victim had asked for security but it was not given by the police"; the state PUCL made the same claim PTI. Lal's son Yash said that if the threats had been taken seriously his father would be alive Scroll.
Police account
Police position ADG Ghumaria said the SHO called in those accused of threatening Lal, "5-7 responsible persons from both communities" reached an agreement, and Lal wrote that he did not want further action, "hence, the police did not proceed on the security threat" The Kashmir Walla. DGP ML Lather said the SHO "could not read the situation well and the legal action which should have been taken, wasn't taken"; the SHO was transferred Scroll and ASI Bhanwar Lal was suspended for negligence The Quint.
Yash Teli also said his father "felt relaxed again" after the police meeting Scroll. No inquiry finding on the police handling was found in the sources reviewed.
Government response and the political row
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot appealed for calm, asked people not to share the videos, promised a fast-tracked trial and set up a police SIT under ADG (SOG) Ashok Rathore PTI.
On 30 June Gehlot handed Lal's wife a Rs 50 lakh cheque, according to a state government release Alt News. On 6 July the cabinet relaxed rules to give both his sons government jobs The Quint. False A 2023 claim, shared by a UP BJP IT cell office-bearer, that the family got only Rs 5 lakh was false, Alt News found.
Claim · BJP Poonia blamed the murder on the Congress government's "appeasement policy" PTI. The case became an issue in the 2023 assembly election: at a Chittorgarh rally on 2 October 2023, Modi accused Congress of viewing it "through the prism of vote bank politics" Outlook. Gehlot later alleged the accused had BJP links; the BJP called the killing a state government failure Business Standard.
The NIA case and the Pakistan claims
On 29 June the NIA re-registered the case under murder and other IPC sections and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the UAPA Verdictum. The Home Ministry said any international links would be "thoroughly investigated" Outlook (PTI).
Claim · Rajasthan Police DGP Lather said Ghouse Mohammad had links with the Karachi-based Dawat-e-Islami, and Minister of State for Home Rajendra Singh Yadav said he spent about 45 days in Karachi in 2014. Pakistan rejected any link Scroll. The NIA itself said on 30 June that "there may not be any terrorist group involved in the murder but a terror gang", and called reports of links to international terror outfits "based on speculation" The Quint, citing ANI.
Claim · NIA The chargesheet filed on 22 December 2022 named 11 accused: nine Udaipur residents and two Karachi residents, Salman and Abu Ibrahim. The NIA said the accused, "operating as a terror gang-module, conspired to take revenge" and "were radicalised" by material "from within and outside India" Tribune. The two are listed as absconding ETV Bharat. These allegations have not yet been tested at trial.
The trial in Jaipur and where it stands
In February 2024 the special NIA court framed charges against nine accused, including murder, conspiracy and UAPA offences; one, Farhad Mohammad, was already on bail PTI via Siasat. On 5 September 2024 the Rajasthan High Court bailed Mohammad Javed, accused of a recce for the killers, whose lawyer said the evidence was only call records Scroll. On 11 November 2024 the Supreme Court issued notice on Yash Teli's appeal against that bail LiveLaw.
The pace of the trial is disputed:
- Claim · Gehlot June 2025: only six of 166 witnesses had testified, and the case was heard by a CBI court judge holding additional charge Sentinel (IANS).
- Claim · Gehlot June 2026: only 21 of 180 witnesses examined; he alleged the delay looked deliberate OrissaPOST (PTI).
- NIA's position October 2026: the witness list had been cut from 180 to 89, with nearly 30 material witnesses examined LawBeat.
On that basis a bench of Chief Justice Sanjay K Agrawal and Justice Sameer Jain upheld the denial of bail to five accused. It found the accusations "prima facie made out" and the trial "progressing actively and at a rapid pace" Verdictum LiveLaw.
The 2025 film controversy
A film, Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder, was due out on 11 July 2025. On 10 July the Delhi High Court stayed its release on petitions by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Arshad Madani and journalist Prashant Tandon, who argued it could cause communal discord; the Centre's counsel said the film was "crime-specific", not community-specific Tribune. A government committee suggested six cuts beyond the CBFC's 55 Deccan Herald (PTI). On 7 August 2025 the High Court refused accused Mohammad Javed's plea to stay the film, which was set to release the next day Daily Excelsior (PTI).
Outcome
- Death: Kanhaiya Lal, 48; a co-worker was also attacked, per the NIA.
- Arrests: Two main accused held on 28 June 2022; 11 chargesheeted, two of them Pakistani nationals listed as absconding.
- Curfew and internet: Seven police station areas under curfew; mobile internet cut statewide.
- Compensation: Rs 50 lakh and government jobs for both sons.
- Bail: Two accused bailed; five denied bail by the High Court in October 2026.
- Verdict: None as of 12 October 2026.
What is still pending
The trial continues in Jaipur. The Supreme Court's ruling on the challenge to Javed's bail, and any inquiry finding on the police response to Lal's complaint, were not found in the sources reviewed.
Questions people ask
Who killed Kanhaiya Lal?
Police arrested Mohammad Riyaz Attari and Ghouse Mohammad, who appeared in videos claiming responsibility, on 28 June 2022. The NIA later charged nine others. No one has been convicted yet.
Has a verdict been given in the Kanhaiya Lal case?
No. As of October 2026 the trial in the special NIA court in Jaipur was continuing, with about 30 material witnesses examined, according to the NIA.
Did Kanhaiya Lal ask police for protection?
Yes, on 15 June 2022. Police say both sides signed a compromise and he sought no further action; his family and the BJP say his plea was ignored. An ASI was suspended.
Why was there a curfew in Udaipur?
After the killing, a mob threw stones at a mosque and burnt two motorcycles. A curfew was declared in seven police station areas from 8 pm on 28 June 2022 and relaxed in stages from 3 July.
Was the film Udaipur Files released?
Yes. After a Delhi High Court stay in July 2025 and six extra cuts from a government panel, the court refused a fresh stay on 7 August 2025, the day before release.
Sources
- Scroll: Udaipur tailor beheaded for purportedly supporting Nupur Sharma, curfew imposed, 28 June 2022
- PTI via Business Standard: Tailor murdered over 'insult to Islam', curfew in Udaipur localities, 28 June 2022
- Business Today: Udaipur murder case: Section 144 imposed, internet suspended, 29 June 2022
- Outlook (PTI): Curfew continues in some areas of Udaipur, 29 June 2022
- The Quint: NIA probe, suspected Pak links: key developments, 29 June 2022
- Verdictum: NIA registers case under UAPA, state suspends ASI, 29 June 2022
- The Kashmir Walla: Before killing, Udaipur man got bail for 'hurting religious sentiments', 29 June 2022
- Outlook (PTI): Thousands take part in rally against murder; markets closed in Jaipur, 30 June 2022
- The Quint: Stones thrown at rally, bandh in Jaipur, 30 June 2022
- Scroll: Hindutva bodies protest in Udaipur, 30 June 2022
- Outlook (PTI): Thousands take out protest in Jaipur, 3 July 2022
- Outlook (PTI): Curfew relaxed in Udaipur, 3 July 2022
- Scroll: Family of murdered tailor say they don't know who wrote the post, 4 July 2022
- The Quint: Rajasthan govt to give jobs to tailor's sons, 6 July 2022
- Tribune: Two Pakistani nationals among 11 chargesheeted by NIA, 22 Dec 2022
- Deccan Herald (PTI): NIA files charge sheet against 11, 22 Dec 2022
- Alt News: Rajasthan compensation to Kanhaiya Lal: 'discrimination' claim false, Oct 2023
- Outlook: Gehlot accuses BJP of flaring communal tension, Nov 2023
- Business Standard: Gehlot alleges 'BJP people' involvement, 13 Nov 2023
- PTI via Siasat: NIA court frames charges against 9 accused, 13 Feb 2024
- Scroll: Rajasthan HC grants bail to man accused in killing, 5 Sept 2024
- ETV Bharat: Rajasthan HC grants bail to accused Javed, 5 Sept 2024
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court issues notice on plea against bail, 11 Nov 2024
- Sentinel (IANS): Gehlot slams BJP, NIA over delay in trial, 29 June 2025
- Tribune: Delhi High Court stays release of 'Udaipur Files', 10 July 2025
- Deccan Herald (PTI): SC refuses to extend stay on 'Udaipur Files', 25 July 2025
- Daily Excelsior (PTI): Delhi HC allows release of 'Udaipur Files', 7 Aug 2025
- OrissaPOST (PTI): Four years on, justice remains elusive, says Gehlot, 27 June 2026
- LiveLaw: Rajasthan High Court denies bail to five, 5 Oct 2026
- LawBeat: Rajasthan HC denies bail to 5 accused booked under UAPA, 5 Oct 2026
- Verdictum: Trial progressing at a rapid pace, Rajasthan HC upholds denial of bail, 6 Oct 2026