Mumbai police raided the original venue for the planned September 19 screening of "Prisoner No. 626710 Is Present" on Umar Khalid, activists Shrishti Khanna and Prashant Pundir said.
The documentary, directed by Lalit Vachani, chronicles the arrest of former Jawaharlal Nehru University student‑union leader Umar Khalid in September 2020 amid the Delhi riots. Khalid, charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, has remained in custody since his detainment.
According to Khanna, officers in civilian clothes stormed the venue, threatened its manager, and forced the cancellation. Pundir added that a second location in Bandra was approached by police in a van, and the venue was coerced into dropping the screening. The police also visited a third well‑known venue, delivering the same intimidation.
The film has faced opposition from the Central Board of Film Certification, which warned that public exhibition of an uncertified feature would violate the Cinematograph Act without a special exemption.
The venue manager, who declined to be named, said the threat was explicit: "They would not let us screen it, or we would lose our license." Khanna described the feeling of fear that had already shrouded the initial venue.
Police have yet to comment on the allegations, while activists say they will file a protest and seek a judicial review of the raid.