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The top court directed the state government to take a call on the grant of sanction to prosecute Shah.
The next hearing in I-PAC raids will take place on February 3. (File Image)
The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Madhya Pradesh government for the delay in granting permission to prosecute minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his objectionable remark against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
The bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the state government to take a call on the grant of sanction to prosecute Shah.
“You are sitting over the SIT report since August 19, 2025. The statute casts an obligation on you and you must take a call. It is January 19 now,” CJI Kant remarked.
On July 28, 2025, the top court had pulled up Shah for not placing a public apology over his remarks on record against Col Qureshi, saying he was “testing the court’s patience”. It had pointed out that the minister’s conduct was prompting it to doubt his intentions and bonafide.
Senior advocate K Parmeshwar, appearing for Shah, had argued that the minister has issued a public apology, which was shared online, and would be placed on court’s record.
“What is an online apology? We are starting to have doubts about his intentions and bonafide. You place the apology on record. We will have to see it,” the top court had said.
It had asked the special investigation team (SIT) constituted to probe the statements made by the minister to submit its report by August 13, 2025.
An SIT officer had appeared in court with a sealed cover report, stating statements of 27 people examined by the probe team were currently under scrutiny.
The bench had said statements of those whose sentiments were hurt should have been recorded by the SIT instead of Shah’s statements.
On May 28, last year, the top court ordered closure of proceedings before the Madhya Pradesh High Court against Shah for his controversial remarks against Col Qureshi and asked for a status report from the SIT.
Earlier, the top court chided Shah and constituted the SIT to probe the FIR lodged against him.
Shah came under fire after a video, which was circulated widely, showed him allegedly making objectionable remarks against Col Qureshi, who gained nationwide prominence along with another woman officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during the media briefings on Operation Sindoor.
The high court rebuked Shah for passing “scurrilous” remarks and using “language of the gutters” against Col Qureshi, and ordered police to file an FIR against him on the charge of promoting enmity and hatred.
After drawing severe condemnation, Shah expressed regret and said he respects Col Qureshi more than his sister.
January 19, 2026, 14:58 IST
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