SC raps MP govt over delay in Vijay Shah case:CJI says ‘enough is enough’; minister’s remarks on Colonel Qureshi under fire

The legal troubles of Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah intensified on Friday after the Supreme Court sharply criticised the state government over delays in granting prosecution sanction in the case related to his controversial remarks against Army officer Colonel Sophia Qureshi. Hearing the matter, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant reprimanded the state government, saying, “Enough is enough, now follow our orders,” while expressing displeasure over the pending approval for prosecution. ‘Extremely unfortunate’: CJI rejects minister’s defence During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the minister’s statement may have been misunderstood and that he intended to praise the Army officer. However, the bench firmly rejected the contention. The CJI observed that the remarks were “not just unfortunate, but extremely unfortunate”, adding that an experienced politician would know how to appropriately praise a woman officer. Referring to the SIT status report, the court also remarked that the minister appeared to have a pattern of making such statements. Remarks linked to Operation Sindoor The controversy erupted after India’s cross-border military operation, Operation Sindoor, during which Colonel Sophia Qureshi briefed the media. Subsequently, at an event in Raikunda village in Mhow, Vijay Shah allegedly said, “Those who made our daughters widows, we sent one of their own sisters to teach them a lesson.” The statement triggered outrage, with critics alleging that the remark indirectly targeted Colonel Qureshi’s religion. High Court ordered FIR The matter escalated after the Madhya Pradesh High Court took suo motu cognisance. Justice Atul Shridharan directed the police to register an FIR against the minister and warned that he would “raise hell” if necessary to ensure compliance with the court’s order. SIT seeks prosecution sanction The Supreme Court later constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. After completing its investigation, the SIT sought sanction from the Madhya Pradesh government to prosecute the minister. The approval has remained pending for nearly two weeks. Vijay Shah has been booked under Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to acts endangering national sovereignty and promoting enmity between groups. Next hearing after four weeks The apex court directed the state government to take a decision at the earliest while considering the “totality of circumstances”. The matter will now be heard again after four weeks. The Supreme Court has, for now, protected the minister from arrest, but has refused to quash the FIR or accept his apology.