Overview

• A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi sharply criticized Vijay Shah’s brief online apology, saying it cast doubt on his intentions and bona fides
• The three-member SIT has recorded statements from more than 125 witnesses, including journalists, event organizers, students and NCC cadets, as part of its inquiry
• Madhya Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory officials reported they could not analyze the speech footage due to technical limitations, prompting reliance on other evidence
• The investigation follows a May 14 High Court suo motu order to register an FIR and the Supreme Court’s May 19 directive to form an SIT to probe alleged hate speech under Sections 152 and 196(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita The Supreme Court will reconvene on August 18 with an SIT member present to review the comprehensive status report and determine next steps