NEW DELHI: “Enough is enough,” said the aggrieved Supreme Court on Friday as it asked the Madhya Pradesh government to decide on granting sanction to the prosecution of its minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his unacceptable remarks targeting Army officer Colonel Sophia Qureshi in the wake of Operation Sindoor.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalia Bagchi termed Shah’s objectionable statement as “most unfortunate” after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the state, said the minister had made “unfortunate” remarks and quickly apologised.
“What he said was certainly unfortunate,” Mehta said.
“Not unfortunate, but very unfortunate and hence he has no sense of repentance either,” the CJI said.
The bench relentlessly refused to hear further submission on behalf of the Shah and the state, and instead asked for compliance within four weeks of its January 19 directive asking the Madhya Pradesh government to take an appropriate decision on whether to award the penalty.
“Enough is enough. You must adhere to the directions contained in paragraphs five and six of our previous order,” the bench told the state and listed the order after the summer recess.
Initially, Mehta said the special investigation team had submitted a report in this regard.
Shah faced a high-profile SIT-appointed probe over “obscene” and “objectionable” remarks targeting Colonel Qureshi.
While Mehta made it clear that he was not defending Shah, he said that the minister may have intended to praise the officer, but he ended up saying something else and was unable to articulate it properly.
The chief law officer said this was his personal view.
“We know whether these political figures want praise, how eloquent they are with their words,” the CJI observed, adding that Shah could have soon offered an apology if it was a slip of the tongue.
Senior lawyer Maninder Singh, who represents Shah, said the minister immediately issued an apology.
The court said that under its order issued on January 19, the state must decide on whether to award the penalty within two weeks.
“Let the state take a decision on this matter,” the bench said.
On January 19, the Supreme Court noted that the Special Investigation Team had completed its investigations and submitted its final report.
However, further action has been stalled as the report awaits mandatory approval from the state government under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, which deals with promotion of communal hatred and ill will.
The Supreme Court had opened and reviewed the report of the Special Investigation Team, noting that the authority had requested government approval to prosecute him after investigating various aspects.
It requested the Special Court to make an effort to find out details of other cases attributed to Shah, which were briefly mentioned in the Special Court’s report.
“A separate status report in respect of these cases will also be submitted to this court,” the bench said on January 19.
On July 28, 2025, the Supreme Court suspended Shah for not making a public apology for his statements against Colonel Qureshi, saying he was “testing the patience of the court.”
She indicated that the minister’s behavior led her to doubt his intentions and good faith.
Shah’s lawyer had earlier argued that the minister issued a public apology, which was shared online, and would be placed on the court record.
On May 28 last year, the Supreme Court ordered closure of proceedings before the Madhya Pradesh High Court against Shah over his controversial statements against Colonel Qureshi and sought a status report from the Special Investigation Team.
Earlier, the Supreme Court reprimanded Shah and formed a special investigation team to probe the FIR against him.
Shah came under fire after a video, widely circulated, showed him making objectionable remarks against Colonel Qureshi, who gained national notoriety along with another female officer, Wing Commander Vyumika Singh, during briefings on Operation Sindoor.
The Supreme Court reprimanded Shah for making “obscene” remarks and using “gutter language” against Colonel Qureshi, and ordered the police to lodge an FIR against him on charges of promoting enmity and hatred.
After strong condemnation, Shah expressed his regret and said that he respected Colonel Qureshi more than his sister.
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