Supreme Court questions inaction on sanction to prosecute minister Vijay Shah
January 20, 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong displeasure over the Madhya Pradesh government’s failure to take a decision on granting sanction to prosecute state minister Vijay Shah for his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. The remarks were made after Operation Sindoor, following which an FIR was registered against Shah. He later approached the apex court seeking to quash the FIR.
A Special Investigation Team informed the court that it had sought permission to prosecute the minister as early as August 2025, but the proposal has remained pending since then. A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned the prolonged delay, noting that the SIT report had already been submitted and recommended prosecution. “You have not been able to take a decision on the SIT report since August 19, 2025, and now it is January 19,” the CJI observed.
The court rejected the argument that Shah had apologised, stating that no formal apology was on record. It also termed the later public apology an attempt to escape accountability, calling it “crocodile tears.” Directing the state government to act in accordance with the law, the Supreme Court asked senior officials present to examine the issues raised and take appropriate steps on the pending prosecution sanction.