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

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: The state government has notified the Supreme Court that a decision on sanction for prosecuting state minister Vijay Shah over his remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is imminent. The matter was heard before a three-judge bench including Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohan.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, representing the Special Investigation Team (SIT), informed the court that the state government's recommendation for prosecution sanction is currently pending before the Governor. Both the Chief Justice and Justice Bagchi suggested allowing the Governor to make the decision. The High Court had suo motu taken notice of the remarks on May 14, 2025, leading to Shah filing a petition in the Supreme Court.

When asked by the Chief Justice about the course of action if the prosecution sanction is not granted, Nataraj clarified that a closure report would be required in that situation. This implies that while the SIT's investigation is concluded, the subsequent legal steps will hinge on whether the prosecution sanction is granted. Should the sanction be obtained, the process for filing a chargesheet will commence; conversely, if the sanction is denied, a closure report will be submitted instead.