The three-member SIT is headed by Inspector General (IG) Pramod Verma, with Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kalyan Chakravarty and Superintendent of Police (SP) Vahini Singh as its other members.
Supreme Court: Following directions from the Supreme Court, the Madhya Pradesh Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate objectionable and controversial remarks made by state minister Vijay Shah against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a decorated Army officer who became known during government briefings on Operation Sindoor.
ALSO READ: Remarks on Col Sofiya Qureshi: SC to Hear MP Minister Vijay Shah’s Plea Today
The three-member SIT is headed by Inspector General (IG) Pramod Verma, with Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kalyan Chakravarty and Superintendent of Police (SP) Vahini Singh as its other members.
This team was set up just a day after the Supreme Court refused to accept Vijay Shah’s apology for his comments. The court made it clear that the apology was not genuine and was only meant to escape legal consequences.
The bench, led by Justice Surya Kant, came down heavily on the minister and said:
“What is that apology? What kind of apology have you tendered? There is some meaning of apology. Sometimes people use docile language only to wriggle out of proceedings, and sometimes they shed crocodile tears. What kind of apology is yours? You want to give the impression that the court had asked you to apologise. What prevented you from making a sincere apology for your crass comments till now?”
The Supreme Court also laid out clear guidelines for the SIT. The court said the team must have a woman officer, an IG-rank officer as its head, and that the IPS officers in the SIT must be from the Madhya Pradesh cadre but originally from outside the state.
Details of Officers in the SIT
- IG Pramod Verma is currently posted as Inspector General, Sagar range.
- DIG Kalyan Chakravarty is posted with the SAF in Bhopal.
- SP Vahini Singh is serving as Superintendent of Police in Dindori.
The Supreme Court has directed the SIT to submit its first status report by May 28.
The controversy began after a video of Minister Vijay Shah’s speech at a public event went viral. In the video, he made deeply offensive remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who is a senior Army officer and was seen as a key face during Operation Sindoor.
While referring to the Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 people were killed, Shah said:
“They undressed Hindus and killed them, and Modi ji sent their sister to return the favour. We couldn’t undress them, so we sent a daughter from their community… You widowed sisters of our community, so a sister of your community will strip you naked.”
These statements triggered widespread criticism and legal action.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court took suo motu notice of the minister’s comments and ordered that an FIR be filed. The court observed that such comments could damage religious harmony and send a dangerous message that a person’s faith may determine how they are treated in society, even if they have served the country with honour.
The High Court said the “sister of terrorists” remark had serious implications and could lead to communal disharmony.
After facing severe backlash, Vijay Shah expressed regret over his words. In an attempt to calm the situation, he said:
“I respected Colonel Qureshi more than my sister.”
However, the Supreme Court made it clear that this attempt at apology was neither timely nor sincere, and thus, it was not acceptable to the court.
