The Supreme Court on Friday issued a stern ultimatum to the Madhya Pradesh government, demanding a final decision on the prosecution of state minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his “scurrilous” remarks against Army officer Col Sofiya Qureshi.
Expressing deep anguish over the delay in legal proceedings, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the state to decide on the grant of sanction for Shah’s prosecution within four weeks.
“Enough is enough,” the bench observed, signaling its impatience with the stalled process. “You comply with the directions given in our previous order.”
The case stems from highly controversial comments made by Shah targeting Col Sofiya Qureshi in the aftermath of “Operation Sindoor.” Col Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, became a prominent national figure during media briefings for the operation.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, described the minister’s remarks as “unfortunate” and noted that an apology had been issued quickly. However, the Chief Justice was quick to escalate the severity of the description.
“Not unfortunate, but most unfortunate,” CJI Surya Kant remarked, adding that the minister appeared to have “no sense of repentance.”
The court dismissed suggestions from the defense that the remarks were a “slip of the tongue” or a failed attempt at praise. “These political personalities, we know if they want to praise, how articulate they are with their words,” the CJI noted, questioning why a sincere apology was not placed on the record sooner if the error was unintentional.
While a court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already completed its probe and submitted a final report in a sealed cover, further legal action is currently blocked. Under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita — which deals with the promotion of communal hatred and ill-will — the state government must provide a mandatory sanction before the minister can be prosecuted.
The Supreme Court had previously pulled up Shah in July 2025 for “testing the court’s patience” by failing to place a public apology on the record. This followed a scathing rebuke from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had characterized Shah’s comments as “language of the gutters” and ordered the initial FIR.
The Supreme Court has now linked the next hearing to the period after the summer vacation. The Madhya Pradesh government is expected to report back on its decision regarding the prosecution sanction, as the court continues to monitor the SIT’s investigation into other potential instances of similar conduct by the minister.
Shah has previously expressed regret for the comments, stating he respects Col Qureshi “more than his sister,” but the apex court’s latest observations suggest that verbal apologies may no longer be sufficient to stave off legal accountability.
