Murder of Kanhaiya Lal
Murder case in India, 2022
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 28 June 2022, Kanhaiya Lal Teli, a tailor, was murdered by two men in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. The attackers filmed the act and circulated the video online.[2][3][4]
| Murder of Kanhaiya Lal | |
|---|---|
| Part of 2022 Muhammad remarks controversy | |
| Location | Udaipur, Rajasthan, India |
| Date | 28 June 2022 |
Attack type | Murder, Beheading |
| Weapon | Cleaver |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Victim | Kanhaiya Lal |
No. of participants | 2 |
| Charges | Charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act[1] |
The motive behind the killing was Lal's alleged sharing of a social media post in support of Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma, whose remarks had sparked the 2022 Muhammad remarks controversy.[2]
According to reports, the assailants entered Lal's tailor shop pretending to be customers. They then murdered him, filmed the act, and uploaded it online.[5][6]
In one of the circulated videos, two men were seen holding butcher knives and claiming responsibility for the killing.[7] The incident triggered widespread outrage across India. Authorities imposed a curfew in parts of Udaipur and suspended internet services to curb the spread of violence and misinformation.[3]
Background
Kanhaiya Lal Teli (also reported as Kanhaiya Lal Sahu, born c. 1982) was a tailor from the Dhanmandi area of Udaipur, the father of two sons who belonged to the Hindu community.[8][9][10]
On 11 June, Lal's neighbor had registered a case against him over a controversial social media post, stating support for Nupur Sharma, which led to Lal's arrest. Subsequently, Lal was released on bail. On 15 June, Lal had filed a request for protection with the local police after receiving death threats.[2] In his complaint, Lal stated that he was receiving threats and alleged that the group had circulated his photo within their community on social media with a message that Lal should be killed if seen anywhere or if he opens his shop. The police said that they had mediated and resolved the matter. Kanhaiya then gave a statement to police that he does not want any further action in the case. Lal had said that the controversial post was shared inadvertently by his son while playing a game on his phone, and that Lal did not know how to operate a phone.[11]
Murder
One of the two accused had made a video days before the attack on June 17 where he stated his intent for murder for remarks against the prophet Muhammad, to make a "viral" video and his disregard for further consequences.[12]
On 28 June, two assailants entered Lal's tailor shop posing as customers. When Lal began taking the measurements for one of them, he was attacked with cleavers at 2.45 p.m. The entire attack was caught on video by the assailants. After subduing Lal, the two accused dragged him out of the shop and slit his throat with a makeshift dagger made at their welding workshop.[13] Lal was stabbed in different parts of the body.[14] A shop assistant of Lal also sustained severe head injuries trying to save him.[15] Other shopkeepers did not make attempts to rescue him. The assailants fled on foot and then drove away on a motorcycle.[13]
In what seems to be a second video (taken after the attack), they boasted about the murder to avenge the insult to Islam[16] and also made threats against India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[17]
Aftermath
After the incident, the local markets in the area were shut down and the traders demanded arrest of the accused.[18] Protests demanding immediate action were staged in various parts of India.[19]
Local authorities of Udaipur imposed a 24-hour curfew and blocked internet access across the state of Rajasthan.[3][20] The central government deployed the National Investigation Agency, India's primary counterterrorism unit, to investigate the incident.[2] The police said that the perpetrators had attempted to behead Kanhaiya during the attack but had failed.[21] Media organizations, such as The Hindu and the BBC, however, reported that Lal had been beheaded.[4][22]
On 28 June, the Rajasthan government announced a compensation of ₹50 lakh (US$52,000) for the family of Kanhaiya. On 6 July, the government announced jobs for Kanhaiya's two sons.[23]
On 2 July, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra visited the family of Kanhaiya Lal, where he announced a compensation of ₹1 crore (US$100,000) for the family of Kanhaiya. Further, he announced compensation amounting to ₹25 lakh (US$26,000) for Ishvar, who was also wounded in the attack, and of ₹5 lakh (US$5,200) to a police constable, Sandeep, who had been injured by a violent mob.[24]
Reactions
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of having involvement in the murder and added "The culprits have links with the BJP. Police had arrested them in some other case, but BJP leaders visited the police station to get them released."[25] In response to the murder, nearly 7000 people took out silent protest march in the city of Udaipur.[26]
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for religious harmony and peace globally in response to Kanhaiya Lal's murder.[27][28][29]
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) condemned the murder stating, "taking law into your own hands is highly condemnable, regrettable and un-Islamic" and added, "Neither the law nor the Islamic Sharia allow it."[30] Head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Maulana Mahmood Madani stated, "Udaipur incident is a disgrace to humanity; It is disgrace to humanity & an act of defaming Islam. No matter whosoever is a killer, no one has the authority to take the law and order into his own hands." Religious body Jamaat-e-Islami Hind called the incident "barbaric, Uncivilized and there is no room for Justification of violence in Islam. Peace should not be disturbed. Nobody should try to take advantage of this ugly crime".[30] Shahabuddin Razvi of the Barelvi All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam also condemned the attack, stating "Muslims should not take the law in their own hands, complain to the government, it is the government's job to punish."[31]
Hindu organisations like the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal staged protests and demanded strict action against the culprits. Although the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh remained silent, RSS-linked Muslim Rashtriya Manch demanded capital punishment for the accused.[32]
Dutch politician Geert Wilders condemned the incident and cautioned the Indian Hindus against "appeasement of Muslims".[33]
Amnesty International condemned the incident and urged the Indian government to take action against the accused.[34][35]
In popular culture
A Hindi-language film titled Udaipur Files, directed by Bharat S. Srinate and produced by Amit Jani, was announced in 2024 and was initially scheduled for theatrical release on 11 July 2025.[36][37] The film is based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and seeks to dramatize the events surrounding the incident.[38] Following the release of its trailer, the film sparked major controversy, with several civil rights groups and individuals alleging that it promotes communal hatred and vilifies the Muslim community.[39][40]
On 10 July 2025, the Delhi High Court imposed a stay order on the release of the film in response to a petition filed by Maulana Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, along with journalist Prashant Tandon and others.[41] The petition was argued by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who described the film as "a worse form of hate speech" and claimed it could incite violence and disrupt public order.[42][43] The petitioners also argued that the film could compromise the fair trial of accused individuals.[44] The High Court directed the petitioners to seek review under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act and asked the Central Government to decide on the film’s certification.[45] The matter is currently under judicial consideration.[46][47] The film flopped, and its producer Amit Jani criticized the Hindu community for not supporting it.[48]