'Entire nation in shame': SC orders SIT probe against MP minister over remarks on Col Qureshi

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah for his remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and constituted a three-member special investigation team to probe the FIR lodged against him. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh told the minister that it had seen his videos where he made the remarks and his apology and wondered if “they were crocodile tears or an attempt to wriggle out of the legal proceedings”. “The entire nation was in shame due to the comments... We saw your videos , you were on the verge of using very filthy language but somehow better sense prevailed or you did not find suitable words. You should be shameful. Entire country is proud of our Army and you made this statement,” Justice Surya Kant said. The bench further grilled the minister, “What kind of apology was this? You should have simply admitted your mistake and apologised but you say if you have said this and that…then I apologise. This is not the way to seek apology. The kind of crass comments you made, you should be shameful."

Shah was represented by senior advocates Maninder Singh and Vibha Dutt Makhija. The top court asked the Madhya Pradesh director general of police to constitute a three-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by an IG rank officer by Tuesday 10 am also comprising a woman officer to probe the FIR registered following an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The first state report by the SIT, the bench said, should be filed by May 28. Being a public representative the minister ought to have led by an example and used every single word sensibly, the court further remarked. After drawing severe criticism for his comments made on May 12, the BJP minister said he was ready to apologise 10 times if his statement had hurt anyone and he respected Col Qureshi more than his sister. An FIR was registered against Shah in Indore district later on May 14 following the high court's order. The FIR was registered under Sections 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196 (1)(b) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, language, or other similar characteristics) and 197(1)(c) (statement or action that causes or is likely to cause disharmony, enmity, or hatred between different groups) of the BNS.