SC to hear plea of senior journalists N Ram, Sashi Kumar seeking independent probe on Pegasus issue
The plea seeks an inquiry headed by a sitting or retired judge of the apex court to investigate the reports of the government using Israeli software Pegasus to spy on politicians, activists, and journalists.
FollowNew Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea of senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar seeking a probe into Pegasus snooping charges next week.
The plea seeks an inquiry headed by a sitting or retired judge of the apex court to investigate the reports of the government using Israeli software Pegasus to spy on politicians, activists, and journalists.
Headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, a bench took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Ram and veteran scribe Sashi Kumar, that the petition has been filed and numbered and needed to be heard in view of the large ramifications of the alleged snooping.
We will list it sometime in next week, the CJI said.
The plea said the alleged snooping represented an attempt by agencies and organisations to muzzle and chill the exercise of free speech and expression of dissent in India.
Sibal said that civil liberties of citizens, politicians belonging to opposition parties, journalists, etc. have been put under surveillance, and the issue is making waves in India and world over and requires an urgent hearing.
The plea claims that investigation involving several leading publications around the world has revealed that more than 142 Indians, including journalists, lawyers, government ministers, opposition politicians, constitutional functionaries and civil society activists, have been identified as 'potential targets' for surveillance using Pegasus software.
An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on a list of potential targets for surveillance using Israeli firm NSO's Pegasus spyware.
According to reports published in The Wire, names of several opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, activists and 40 Indian journalists appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware.
The government has been denying all Opposition allegations in the matter.
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