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SC awaits Guv's call on MP minister’s prosecution for Op Sindoor remarks against Colonel
The SIT's investigation is complete, but filing the report depends on the sanction, which has been pending since August 2025.
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The Supreme Court on Monday decided to await the decision of the Madhya Pradesh governor on grant of sanction to prosecute state minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi during Operation Sindoor .
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant told the special investigation team (SIT) of Madhya Pradesh that has completed its investigation against the minister to file its final report before the concerned court the moment sanction is granted.
Posting the matter after two weeks, the bench, also comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said, “The investigation of the SIT is complete and a report has been placed before us in a sealed cover as sanction of the governor is awaited. It is directed that as soon as sanction is granted, the report will be filed before the competent court.”
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The development came during the hearing of Shah’s challenge to an order of the Madhya Pradesh high court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of his remarks referring to Colonel Qureshi as the “sister of terrorists” and directed registration of an FIR against him.
Additional solicitor general (ASG) KM Nataraj, appearing for the state government, told the court that a decision of the governor is awaited shortly. “We have forwarded the request to the governor. We are expecting a response in a day or two.”
The three-member SIT had informed the court that the sanction was sought as a pre-condition under section 217(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita, 2023 (BNSS) for the trial court to take cognizance of offences against him.
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The SIT was represented in court by DIG Kalyan Chakraborty who urged the bench to take its final report on record.
The bench told DIG that this will not be possible as the competent court alone has the jurisdiction to consider this report.
The SIT had earlier informed the court in January that its request for sanction against the minister has been pending with the state government since August 2025, when it submitted its report to the state.
Following this, the court had in January granted two weeks for the state to take a final call.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Shah, told the court that soon after he made the alleged offensive remarks at a public address in Indore, he realised his mistake and offered an apology the next day.
