Vijay Shah Case: Prosecution Sanction Pending Before Governor, MP Govt Tells Supreme Court

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state government on Monday informed the Supreme Court (SC) that a decision on sanction for prosecution against state minister Vijay Shah in connection with his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is expected shortly.

The hearing took place before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohan.

Additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, appearing for the SIT, stated that the state government's recommendation for prosecution sanction is pending before the Governor.

To this, Justice Joymalya Bagchi remarked that the Governor should be allowed to take a decision on the matter.

The CJI also stated that the investigation report ultimately has to go before the competent authority.

The High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the remarks on May 14, 2025 and directed registration of a criminal case, prompting Shah to move the SC.

The CJI asked the SIT what would happen next if sanction to prosecute Shah is not granted. To this, additional solicitor general Nataraj stated that a closure report would have to be filed in such a scenario.

This means that while the SIT investigation is complete, further legal action will now depend on the grant of prosecution sanction.

If sanction is granted, the process to file a chargesheet will proceed, whereas if sanction is denied, a closure report will be submitted.