Supreme Court To Hear Case Against Minister Over Remarks On Colonel Today
The Supreme Court will hear on Monday the case involving Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah's controversial remarks against Colonel Sofia Qureshi. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted following the court's directive, will present a status report detailing its progress and findings so far.
The controversy stems from a provocative speech delivered by Mr Shah on May 11 in Indore's Mhow. "They killed our Hindus by removing their clothes, and Modi ji sent his sister to their house to beat them up," the minister had said, referring to "Operation Sindoor".
The comment, widely condemned, was perceived as a reference to Colonel Sofia Qureshi, a senior Army officer who, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, had addressed the press after the military operation.
Following national outrage and a stern observation from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the Supreme Court on May 19 directed the formation of a three-member SIT and ordered a thorough investigation into the minister's remarks. The SIT, comprising IG Pramod Verma, DIG Kalyan Chakraborty, and Dindori SP Vahini Singh, commenced its probe on May 20.
The SIT made the government rest house in Indore's Banganga police station area its base camp and began recording statements. Over five days, statements from more than 125 individuals were collected, including the journalist who filmed the video, the event's organizers, students, NCC cadets, and even dignitaries present on the stage. Among them were former cabinet minister and Mhow MLA Usha Thakur, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Social Science University's Vice Chancellor, District Panchayat President Deepmala Rawat, and several other eyewitnesses.
On July 19, Vijay Shah was summoned to Jabalpur and questioned for about 25 minutes. The SIT posed about eight to ten questions and recorded his official statement.
The SIT had also sent the video clip of the minister's speech to the Madhya Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory. However, due to a lack of infrastructure, the lab reported its inability to analyze the footage, citing technical limitations. The SIT informed the Supreme Court about this setback during the previous hearing and sought additional time.
The court had granted an extension and asked the SIT to submit a comprehensive status report during the upcoming hearing. The report is expected to include findings from the recorded statements, technical challenges encountered, and the next steps planned in the investigation.
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