The SupremeCourt on Thursday began its hearing on a batch of petitions that have sought acourt-monitored investigation into the Pegasus snooping matter. After hearinginitial arguments in the case, the Supreme Court asked all petitioners to servetheir petition copy to the Central government. The court then posted the matterfor further hearing on Tuesday (August 10).
The Supreme Court,while hearing a clutch of petitions, including those filed by the Editors Guildof India, seeking a special probe into the Pegasus spyware scandalinvolving allegations that opposition leaders, journalists and others weretargets of snooping, said “the allegations are serious if the media reportscorrect”.
A two-member bench,headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, is hearing the petitions. Justice Surya Kantis the second judge on the Bench.
“The reports ofsnooping came in 2019; I do not know whether any efforts were made to get moreinformation,” the CJI said. “I am not going into facts of each case; somepeople claim phones were intercepted. There is Telegraph Act for complaints,”he added.
Appearing forpetitioner N Ram and others, senior advocate Kapil Sibal called Pegasus a roguetechnology that enters our lives without our knowledge.
“It is an assault onthe privacy, dignity and values of our Republic,” Sibal said.
Sibal pointed outthat the spyware is sold only to government agencies and it cannot be acquiredby private entities. “NSO technology is involved in the international arena,”he said.
“Where was thehardware placed? Why did not the government register FIR?” he asked, addingthat “all I want is that (the court) issue a notice to the Union of India”.
“It has to be thehighest level bureaucrat who replies to this, preferably Cabinet Secretary,” headded.
The petitions in thecase have been filed by journalists, the Editors Guild of India, a Rajya SabhaMP and an advocate. The names include senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar,Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas of Communist Marxist Party of India (Marxist), andadvocate ML Sharma.
Journalist ParanjoyGuha Thakurta, SNM Abdi, Prem Shankar Jha, Rupesh Kumar Singh and IpsaShatakshi, who are believed to have been among the potential targets of Pegasusspyware, have also knocked at the door of the Supreme Court.