The Bench has listed as many as 12 PILs, including the ones documented by Editors Guild of India and veteran columnists N Ram and Sashi Kumar, for hearing on February 23.  

The Supreme Court expert committee appointed to look into the Pegasus row has reportedly submitted the interim report to the SC bench. A technical committee has been set up to look into the allegations of the government allegedly using Israeli software Pegasus to spy on politicians, activists, and journalists.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli will take up the pending petitions for hearing on February 23 and peruse the interim report. The top court had appointed the committee in October last year amid a huge political furore, saying the state will “not get a free pass” every time national security is raised and the court will not remain a “mute spectator”.

The top court had said that in a democratic country governed by the rule of law, “indiscriminate spying on individuals cannot be allowed.” It ordered the formation of a three-member committee, headed by former top court judge RV Raveendran.

The Bench has listed as many as 12 PILs, including the ones documented by Editors Guild of India and veteran columnists N Ram and Sashi Kumar, for hearing on February 23, news agency IANS reported.

So far, at least 13 people -- including journalists N Ram, Siddharth Varadarajan and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta -- have deposed before the committee. Sources said the panel has also received around a dozen cellphones for forensic examination, including those belonging to the accused in the Bhima Koregaon case.

Meanwhile, Justice Raveendran is overseeing the functioning of the expert committee and he is assisted by Alok Joshi, former IPS officer and Dr Sundeep Oberoi, Chairman, Sub Committee in International Organisation of Standardisation/International Electro-Technical Commission/Joint Technical Committee.

The three members of the expert committee are Dr Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics) and Dean, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Dr Prabaharan P, Professor (School of Engineering), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala, and Dr Ashwin Anil Gumaste, Institute Chair, Associate Professor (Computer Science and Engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.