Supreme Court to set up expert panel to probe Pegasus snooping case

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 23, 2021: The Supreme Court will be setting up an expert committee to probe the Pegasus snooping case. The Chief Justice of India said on Thursday that a detailed order on this is expected next week.

 

CJI Ramana told senior advocate CU Singh in open court that the Supreme Court wants to pass an order this week in the Pegasus matter to set up a probe committee. However, he added that some of the experts they had in mind for the committee will not be able to participate, citing personal reasons.

CJI has said the order may come sometime next week. "We will be able to finalise the members of the Technical Expert Team by next week and pronounce orders," said CJI Ramana.

An international media consortium had reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Pegasus spyware. From top Indian journalists to opposition leaders and some even in the central government, many names had surfaced in the reports saying they were targeted with the spyware.

The Centre had earlier offered to set up a Technical Expert Committee comprising independent experts to inquire whether the Pegasus software was used to snoop on phones of prominent journalists and politicians in India.

CJI Ramana told a senior advocate in court on Thursday that some of the experts who have been contacted to be a part of the expert committee are facing personal issues and may not be able to join the probe.

Last week, the Supreme Court had said it only wants to know from the Centre whether the Pegasus software was used to allegedly spy on Indian personalities and if it was done lawfully.

This came after the government expressed its unwillingness to file a detailed affidavit, citing national security, on pleas seeking an independent probe into the Pegasus snooping row.

Courtesy:India Today