New Delhi [India], May 19: The Supreme Court on Friday delivered a sharp rebuke to Madhya Pradesh BJP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who had briefed the media on Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to Pakistan. The apex court called the remarks “filthy, crass, and shameful,” rejecting Shah’s public apology and ordering the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh directed that the SIT must include three senior IPS officers currently serving in Madhya Pradesh but originally from other cadres. One officer must be a woman. The Director General of Police has been tasked with constituting the SIT by May 20.
“The nation is ashamed of you (Shah). Redemption is yours to seek,” said Justice Surya Kant, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the minister’s response and the state government’s inaction. Though the court stayed Shah’s arrest, it ordered him to fully cooperate with the investigation.
The SIT’s composition must include officers above the rank of Superintendent of Police, with the head not below the rank of Inspector General or Director General. A status report on the investigation is to be submitted to the Supreme Court by the next hearing on May 28.
The court also pulled up Shah for offering what it deemed an insincere apology. “Sometimes people apologise to escape legal consequences. This is not genuine… You are not even ready to take responsibility,” Justice Kant noted. “As a seasoned politician, you should weigh your words. Public sentiments were ruthlessly hurt.”
The case originated from a viral video clip in which Shah made derogatory comments regarding Colonel Qureshi, leading the Madhya Pradesh High Court to take suo motu cognisance and order an FIR on May 14. When police failed to act, the High Court warned of contempt proceedings against the DGP.
The FIR was eventually filed under Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). However, the High Court criticised the FIR’s handling, calling it a “gross subterfuge” and decided to monitor the investigation directly, setting the next hearing for June 16.
Shah later claimed his remarks were taken out of context and intended to praise Colonel Qureshi’s bravery—an explanation dismissed by both the High Court and Supreme Court.