The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday said it will monitor the police’s investigation against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Shah for his remarks purportedly targeting Colonel Sofia Qureshi, Live Law reported.

The court said it felt compelled to monitor the probe to ensure that the police “acts fairly in accordance with law without being influenced by any extraneous pressures or directions”.

The first information report was drafted without making a “single mention of the actions of the suspect which would satisfy the ingredients of offences registered against him”, it said.

The bench said that the FIR “does not inspire confidence” due to the manner in which it was drafted, and that it could get quashed by a court at a later stage.

On Wednesday, the High Court had directed Director General of Police Kailash Makwana to register a case against Shah, a state minister, threatening contempt of court proceedings in case of failure to do so.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had also issued directions for action against Shah.

A case was registered at the Manpur police station in the Indore district on Wednesday evening.

The FIR was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, committing an act having an adverse effect on mutual harmony between communities and for making statements about a member of a community that hurt communal harmony, Live Law reported.

Speaking at an event in Mahu on Tuesday, Shah said that those who had widowed the daughters of India had been taught a lesson by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “by sending the sister from their own community”. The BJP leader repeated the remark immediately after saying it the first time.

While he did not name a person, Opposition parties had alleged that the minister was alluding to Qureshi, one of the official spokespersons during the foreign ministry and defence ministry’s media briefings relating to Operation Sindoor.

Shah had apologised on Tuesday, saying that his remark should not be viewed “in a different context”.

“I want to tell people that my speech is not in that context,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying. “They are our sisters, and they have taken revenge with great strength along with the armed forces.”

NDTV had quoted him as having said: “Sister Sofia has brought glory to India by rising above caste and religion. She is more respected than our own sister. I salute her for her service to the nation. We cannot even think of insulting her in our dreams.”

Shah reiterated his apology on Wednesday saying he was “ashamed and saddened” by his comments. “Our country's sister Sofia Qureshi ji has worked rising above caste and society while fulfilling her national duty,” he added.

Ministers should speak with responsibility, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to intervene in the case against Shah. The BJP leader had approached the court against the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Wednesday order directing that an FIR be filed against the minister, Live Law reported.

Shah had sought a stay on the FIR registered against him.

The Supreme Court, while refusing to pass an interim order, said that it would hear the matter on Friday.

“We know nothing will happen,” Bar and Bench quoted the court as saying. “Just because you are a minister.”

“A person holding such an office is expected to maintain such a decree...every sentence uttered by a minister has to be with responsibility,” Chief Justice BR Gavai observed verbally on Thursday.

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