MP High Court To Monitor Probe On Minister's Remarks On Col Qureshi, Expresses Dissatisfaction With FIR

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday said that it will monitor the Police investigation against the BJP minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his comments targeting Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, where he called her " sister of terrorists."

The move comes after the court expressed dissatisfaction over the contents of the FIR registered by the state police. A Bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla yesterday initiated a suo motu case in the matter and ordered the registration of an FIR against Shah by Wednesday evening.

Advocate General (AG) Prashant Singh today informed the Court that an FIR has been registered. Pulling up the state for the gaps in the FIR, the Court observed that it has been drafted in a casual manner

"Have you read the FIR? How has it been drafted? There are no ingredients. It has been drafted in such a manner that it can be quashed. Content must be there in the FIR. The allegations must come out," Justice Sreedharan remarked.

He also added that "There is no description of what offence is, except for saying an order dated so and so. That is why we draw our inferences. It (FIR) only says certain directions are given."

The Court recorded these concerns in its order and said that it would monitor the investigation against Shah. "Under the circumstances, this Court feels compelled to ensure that it monitors the investigation without interfering with the independence of the investigation agency.. In view of the nature of the case and the manner in which FIR has been registered, it does not inspire confidence in the Court that if the case is not monitored, the Police would investigate fairly, in the interest of justice and in accordance with law," the order said.