Colonel Sofiya Qureshi remarks row: SC closes suo moto proceedings on Shah

New Delhi: To avoid multiplicity of litigation, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed closure of suo moto proceedings pending before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had directed registration of an FIR against Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah for his controversial remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Indian Army officer who briefed the media throughout Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta ordered extension of its earlier order, which had directed that no coercive action would be taken against Shah, including arrest, subject to the condition that he should join and fully cooperate with the investigation.

The Justice Surya Kant-led Bench was apprised by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Madhya Pradesh government, that the three-member SIT visited Raikunda village near the Mhow region of Indore district, where Shah had attended a public programme on May 12 and made the controversial remarks.

Seeking more time for investigation, SG Mehta submitted that the SIT has collected relevant documents, including video footage of the event and a list of attendees, and the probe remained in its initial stage.

After hearing the submissions, the apex court directed re-listing of the matter and ordered the SIT to file a fresh status report before the next date of listing.

In the meantime, the Justice Surya Kant-led Bench ordered extension of its earlier order protecting the Tribal Welfare Minister from any coercive action, including arrest, in relation to the subject FIR. (IANS)

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