Supreme Court Orders SIT Probe into Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah&rsquo;s Remarks, Rejects Apology
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The Supreme Court of India on Monday dismissed Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah&rsquo;s apology as inadequate and directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inquire into his derogatory remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the army&rsquo;s principal spokesperson regarding the recent military operations targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The matter was heard by a Division Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotishwar Singh, which observed that Shah&rsquo;s apology appeared to be a calculated move aimed solely at evading consequences rather than a genuine expression of remorse. The Court described the minister&rsquo;s comments as &ldquo;crass&rdquo; and made it clear that accountability must follow.
Issuing detailed directions to the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), the Bench ordered the constitution of the SIT by&nbsp;Tuesday, 20 May. The team is to consist of three senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, including&nbsp;one woman officer, all of whom must be from&nbsp;outside Madhya Pradesh. The SIT is to be headed by an officer not below the rank of&nbsp;Inspector General of Police (IGP), with the remaining two members holding ranks not lower than&nbsp;Superintendent of Police (SP).
The Court emphasised the importance of transparency and impartiality in the probe, noting: &ldquo;It is a litmus test and we want the state to submit the SIT report to us. We would like to have a very close watch.&rdquo;
In the interim, the Court restrained the Madhya Pradesh Police from arresting Shah. However, it directed that the SIT must file its&nbsp;first status report&nbsp;before the Court on&nbsp;28 May 2025.
The apex court was hearing a petition filed by Shah challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court&rsquo;s order dated&nbsp;14 May 2025, wherein the High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the minister&rsquo;s remarks and directed the registration of a&nbsp;First Information Report (FIR).
Pursuant to the High Court&rsquo;s directions, the FIR was registered at&nbsp;Manpur Police Station in Indore rural&nbsp;under the following provisions of the&nbsp;Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita:
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Section 152&nbsp;&ndash; Acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Section 196(1)&nbsp;&ndash; Acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different groups, likely to disturb public tranquillity;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Section 197(1)(c)&nbsp;&ndash; Causing disharmony or promoting enmity among groups.</li>
</ul>
The Court&rsquo;s directions underscore its commitment to ensuring that public discourse, particularly from elected representatives, remains within the bounds of constitutional propriety and respect for institutions, especially the armed forces.
The matter is now listed for further hearing after the submission of the SIT&rsquo;s initial report.

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May 19, 2025 | 16:32 IST