Supreme Court forms Pegasus panel to probe allegations of unauthorised surveillance

The Supreme Court of India today set up an inquiry committee headed by a retired judge to probe into allegations of snooping using the Pegasus software. The allegations of snooping are about fundamental rights and could have a “chilling effect”, the court observed.

Retired Supreme Court Justice RV Ravindran will head the committee and an IPS officer will assist him along with officials from the National Forensic University. The committee’s report has to be submitted to the court two months later, when the next hearing is scheduled.

“We issued notice to the government. We gave ample opportunity to the government to give details of all action taken by it. But despite repeated chances they gave limited affidavit that does not give clarity. If they had clarified they would have reduced the burden on us. But that does not mean state gets a free pass every time national security is raised,” the Supreme Court said.

“The court will not encroach upon national security but that does not make the court a mute spectator. The nature of the allegations is about fundamental rights being violated. This could have chilling effect. There are also allegations of foreign agencies being involved,” the court further observed.

Several petitions have been filed before the court calling for investigation into allegations that the Israeli Pegasus spyware – that is sold only to governments – was used to target opposition leaders and journalists, among others. The petitioners include former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, CPM MP John Brittas, Supreme Court advocate ML Sharma, the Editors’ Guild of India and some journalists. They sought the court’s order for the government to provide details of the alleged unauthorised surveillance.