The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up advocate M.L.Sharma for making Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah asrespondents in his petition seeking a court monitored SIT probe into thePegasus snooping issue.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and JusticeSurya Kant said: "You have included certain individuals (Prime Ministerand Home Minister as respondents in the petition). We can't issue notice likethis. Don't try to take advantage of things, you have a defective memo ofparties".
Sharma had argued that the government is fabricatingmaterial in the computer through this software.
The bench replied, "This is not the way to file aPIL, where is the material other than paper cuttings."
Sharma argued that his petition is based on facts and notmerely newspaper cuttings. He also agreed to amend the parties as respondentsin his petition, after the bench objected to making individuals as respondentsin his petition.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal,representing N. Ram, argued that Pegasus is a rogue technology, and it isentirely illegal, as it infiltrates into our lives through telephone, and ithears and watches. Sibal emphasized that it is an assault on privacy and humandignity.
The top court noted that there are too many petitions,and it has to see on which petitions it has to issue formal notice and on whichit shouldn't. The top court asked petitioners to serve copy on the Union ofIndia and indicated that only in a few petitions court, it may issue notice onTuesday after hearing the views of the Centre.
Sharma's plea said: "The Pegasus scandal is a matterof grave concern and an attack on the Indian democracy, country's security andjudiciary. The widespread use of surveillance is morally disfiguring. Nationalsecurity implications of this software are huge".
Insisting for a court-monitored probe, Sharma's pleacontended that the scandal involves issues concerning national security andjudicial independence. Several petitioners have filed in the Supreme Courtseeking a court monitored probe into the Pegasus snooping scandal. The topcourt has scheduled the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.