SIT begins probe into MP minister Vijay Shah’s controversial comments on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi

Bhopal: A Special Investigation Team, formed on the orders of the Supreme Court, has begun its probe into the controversial remarks by Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah, one of its members said on Saturday.

The three-member SIT has started meeting people in Raykundda village near Mhow in Indore district, where Shah made the objectionable comments aimed at Colonel Sofiya Qureshi on May 12, police sources said.

Sagar Zone Inspector General of Police Pramod Verma heads the SIT, while Special Armed Forces DIG Kalyan Chakrvarthy and Dindori Superintendent of Police Vahini Singh are its other members.

“We launched our investigation the day before yesterday (Thursday),” said a member of the SIT.

The SC on Monday ordered that a three-member SIT be formed to probe the matter.

The Manpur police had on May 14 registered an FIR against Shah following a directive of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the minister’s "crass remarks".

The FIR has already been handed over to the SIT, said a police official from Indore.

Asked when they would question Shah, the tribal affairs minister, the SIT member refused to elaborate.

“We are on the job. That’s it. We are staying put in Indore,” he said.

The apex court has directed the SIT to file its first status report by May 28.

The case against Shah has registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 152 (an act endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), 196 (1) (B) (an act having an adverse effect on the mutual harmony between different communities, which causes or is likely to cause a breach of public peace) and 197 (1) (C) (speaking about a member of a community, which has an adverse effect on the mutual harmony between different communities).

The SC had earlier said that the minister’s comments had brought “shame” to the nation.

Rejecting his apology, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said that it had seen the videos of his remarks and the subsequent apology, and wondered if he was shedding crocodile tears or it was an attempt to wriggle out of legal proceedings.

During a public event in Raykundda village promoting ‘Halma’, a tribal tradition of collective labour and community participation, Shah had said, “Those who wiped sindoor off our daughters’ forehead... we sent their sister to teach them a lesson”, referring to Operation Sindoor.