The Supreme Court has once again come down heavily on Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks targeting Indian Army officer Colonel Sofia Qureshi. The court has not only rejected Shah’s apology but also ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh directed the constitution of a three-member SIT consisting of senior IPS officers from outside Madhya Pradesh, including at least one woman officer. The court made it clear that it would monitor the investigation closely and issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government.
The SIT has been instructed to submit a status report of its findings, with the first report due on May 28.
During the hearing, Justice Surya Kant questioned the nature of Vijay Shah’s apology. “What kind of apology have you made? Show us the video. We want to see how you apologized. Some people just make gestures, some shed crocodile tears. We want to understand the tone and intent,” he remarked.
The court told Shah’s lawyer, Maninder Singh, “We don’t want such an apology. First, you make a mistake and then rush to the court. As a responsible leader, you should think before speaking, but you used extremely indecent language.”
In response, Shah’s lawyer claimed that an apology had already been issued and its video made public. However, the court said the way the apology was made is important. “From your language and tone, it doesn’t appear that you are genuinely remorseful. You merely said you are sorry if anyone felt hurt. That’s not enough. Your apology is rejected,” the bench stated.
“You apologized only because the court said so. You made the statement on March 12, fully aware that the public sentiment was aligned with the bravery of our armed forces. Despite that, you used such disgusting language in public,” the court added.
Justice Surya Kant concluded, “We don’t need your apology. This is not just a matter of contempt of court that you can get away with by saying sorry. You are trying to use the apology to influence judicial proceedings. We can deal with this as per the law. The High Court has already performed its duty diligently.”
