Noting that the Particular Investigation Crew (SIT) comprising three IPS officers has begun its probe into Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah’s alleged objectionable remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who was a part of the each day briefings throughout India’s army face-off with Pakistan, the Supreme Courtroom on Wednesday prolonged the interim order towards his arrest.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta additionally requested the Madhya Pradesh Excessive Courtroom, which had taken suo motu cognisance within the matter, to shut the proceedings provided that the Supreme Courtroom is seized of it now.
“In view of the truth that this court docket has taken cognisance of the matter, we request the Excessive Courtroom to shut the proceedings…,” the bench mentioned. “There isn’t a want for parallel proceedings,” Justice Kant orally remarked.
Agreeing, Solicitor Normal Tushar Mehta mentioned, “As soon as your lordships are monitoring, there can’t be excessive court docket monitoring.”
On the outset, Mehta knowledgeable the bench that the SIT has began the investigation. Submitting the SIT’s standing report back to the court docket, he mentioned, “Since it’s ongoing investigation, I might not put it in public area.”
The bench mentioned in its order, “A standing report dated Might 27, 2025 has been filed by DIG of police…inter alia declaring that in pursuance to order dated Might 19, 2025, SIT comprising 3 IPS officers has been constituted….The SIT visited the positioning and performed spot investigation on Might 21, 2025. Thereafter some extra materials has been collected. Script of the speech has additionally been ready. One cell phone and so forth have additionally been seized. And statements of 9 witnesses have up to now been recorded. It’s additional identified that the investigation continues to be in preliminary stage. Some extra time has been prayed for.”
Permitting the request, the bench posted the matter for listening to within the first week after it resumes regular working. The court docket is at the moment observing partial working days.
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“The investigation shall proceed and standing report shall be filed on the date fastened,” the court docket mentioned. It additionally refused to permit an intervention software within the matter, saying, “That day additionally we mentioned, please don’t politicise any matter.”
On Might 12, Shah had mentioned at an occasion in Mau that India taught a lesson to these answerable for the Pahalgam terror assault utilizing “their very own sister”. Whereas he didn’t title any particular person, the Congress alleged he was alluding to Colonel Qureshi.
Shah later sought to make clear the remarks, saying, “Don’t see my speech in a special context. I need to inform those that my speech is just not in that context. They’re our sisters, and so they have taken revenge with nice power together with the armed forces.”