The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate an FIR registered against Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah over his remarks concerning Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, an Indian Army officer involved in Operation Sindoor.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh instructed the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) to establish the SIT by 10 am on Tuesday. The team is to be led by an officer of Inspector General rank and must include a woman officer of Superintendent of Police rank.&nbsp;
The Supreme Court also mandated that the SIT submit its first status report by May 28.
The direction came while the court was hearing Shah&rsquo;s plea challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court&rsquo;s order that had led to the registration of the FIR. Although the Supreme Court stayed Shah&rsquo;s arrest, it strongly criticised the minister for his remarks, which were made on May 12 and subsequently drew widespread condemnation.
The bench expressed dismay after reviewing video footage of Shah&rsquo;s speech and his subsequent apology. Justice Surya Kant stated, &ldquo;The entire nation was in shame due to the comments... We saw your videos, you were on the verge of using very filthy language but somehow better sense prevailed or you did not find suitable words. You should be shameful. Entire country is proud of our Army and you made this statement.&rdquo;
Further questioning the nature of Shah&rsquo;s apology, the court said, &ldquo;What kind of apology was this? You should have simply admitted your mistake and apologised but you say if you have said this and that&hellip; then I apologise. This is not the way to seek apology. The kind of crass comments you made, you should be shameful.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The bench also raised doubts about Shah&rsquo;s sincerity, asking whether his apology amounted to &ldquo;crocodile tears or an attempt to wriggle out of the legal proceedings&rdquo;.
Representing Shah were senior advocates Maninder Singh and Vibha Dutt Makhija. The court remarked that as an elected public representative, Shah was expected to set a positive example and choose his words with care.
The comments that triggered the controversy were made during a public event. As quoted by a news agency, Shah had said, &ldquo;They (terrorists) killed our Hindu brothers by making them remove their clothes. PM Modi ji responded by sending their (terrorists') sister in an Army plane to strike them in their houses. They (terrorists) made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sisters of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson.&rdquo;
Following public backlash, Shah issued a statement saying he was willing to apologise multiple times if his words had caused offence. He stated, &ldquo;If anyone is hurt by my statement, I am ready to apologise ten times,&rdquo; adding that he held Colonel Qureshi in higher regard than his own sister.
The FIR was lodged on May 14 in Indore district in accordance with the High Court&rsquo;s directive. Charges were filed under Sections 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196(1)(b) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language, or other similar characteristics), and 197(1)(c) (statement or action that causes or is likely to cause disharmony, enmity, or hatred between different groups) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
The court emphasised that Shah&rsquo;s position demanded responsible conduct and that his comments failed to meet the expected standards of public discourse, particularly when referring to a serving officer of the Indian Army.
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(Left) Col Qureshi and MP Minister Shah (Right)

SC directs MP DGP to form SIT, questions Vijay Shah’s apology after remarks against Col Sofiya Qureshi.

SC Orders SIT Probe into Vijay Shah's Remarks on Colonel

SC directs MP DGP to form SIT, questions Vijay Shah’s apology after remarks against Col Sofiya Qureshi.

May 19, 2025 | 17:09 IST