Remarks against Col Sofiya Qureshi: SC to hear MP Minister's plea seeking quashing of FIR on Monday

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N.K. Singh will take up the matter for hearing on May 19.

Earlier on Friday (May 16), due to paucity of time, the Justice Kant-led Bench couldn’t take up Shah’s special leave petition (SLP) for hearing and on the petitioner’s request, directed listing the matter for hearing on Monday.

A day before, when Shah's lawyer sought urgent listing of his SLP filed before the apex court, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai slammed the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister for his distasteful remarks.

"What sort of statement are you (Shah) making? Such a person holding a constitutional office is expected to exercise a degree of restraint. Every sentence uttered by a minister has to be with responsibility," said the CJI Gavai-led Bench. To this, senior advocate Vibha Dutta Makhija, representing Vijay Shah, said that the media overhyped the minister's comments, and he has already issued an apology. Makhija prayed for an interim order directing that no coercive action be taken against Vijay Shah under the FIR registered under Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Without passing any interim order, the CJI Gavai-led Bench had agreed to hear the matter on May 16, and advised the senior counsel to apprise the Madhya Pradesh HC about the listing of the SLP.

On May 14, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had ordered the Director General of Police (DGP) to register a criminal case against Shah within four hours and warned the DGP of contempt action in case of any delay in compliance. A bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla of the MP High Court said that prima facie, an offence of promoting enmity between different castes, religion and language was made out.

The Justice Sreedharan-led Bench opined that referring to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as a "sister of terrorists" is an offence of hurting the sentiments and faith of the Muslim community.

Talking about Operation Sindoor, Vijay Shah had reportedly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent a "sister from the same community" as those in Pakistan to avenge the April 22 terror strike in Kashmir's Pahalgam.

"PM Modi is striving for the society. Those who widowed our daughters (in Pahalgam), we sent a sister of their own to teach them a lesson," Shah had said.

The distasteful remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who briefed the media throughout Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, sparked nationwide outrage.

Following the incident, the Minister apologised from the "bottom of his heart" and said he respects the Armed Forces and mentioned Colonel Sofiya as "sister". "I, Vijay Shah, am not only ashamed and saddened by my recent statement, which has hurt the sentiments of every community, but I also apologise from the bottom of my heart. Our country's sister Sofia Qureshi ji has worked rising above caste and society while fulfilling her national duty," he said in a video message posted on the social media platform X.

In his petition filed before the Supreme Court, Shah sought quashing of the FIR as well as the suo motu proceedings initiated by the MP High Court.