Top court raps minister for Colonel Qureshi remark

The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his "filthy, crass and shameful" remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who recently briefed the media following Operation Sindoor.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

The Court ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the FIR registered against him.

Deriding Minister Shah's comments and observing, "The nation is ashamed of you," a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh directed the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police to constitute the SIT by May 20. The team must comprise three senior IPS officers of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, none of whom should be natives of the state.

The Court further directed that at least one officer must be a woman, and that the SIT must be headed by an officer not below the rank of Inspector General (IG) or Director General of Police (DGP).

While ordering the formation of the SIT, the Court remarked that this is a "litmus test" and added, "We want the State to submit the SIT report to us. We will maintain a very close watch."