Pegasus controversy: Supreme Court to hear petitions seeking probe into allegations of espionage on August 5
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on August 5, including a petition filed by senior journalists N Ram and Shashi Kumar, seeking an independent inquiry by a sitting or retired judge into the alleged Pegasus snooping case. According to the cause list uploaded on the apex court’s website, a bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justice Surya Kant will hear on August 5 three separate petitions reporting alleged espionage of eminent citizens, politicians and journalists by government agencies. An inquiry has been called for. Using the Israeli spyware Pegasus.
The top court had on July 30 said that it would hear the plea of Ram and Kumar in the matter next week.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for senior journalists, had told the court last week that the petition needed urgent hearing in view of the wider implications.
According to the petition, the alleged espionage represents an attempt by agencies and organizations to suppress freedom of speech and expression of dissent in India.
The plea has also sought a direction to the Center to disclose whether the government or any of its agencies has obtained licenses for Pegasus spyware and used it for surveillance, directly or indirectly, in any manner. .
The petitioners have claimed that investigations of several leading publications across the world have revealed that several Indians, including journalists, lawyers, ministers, opposition politicians and activists, have been identified as potential targets of surveillance using Pegasus software.
Apart from the petition filed by Ram and Kumar, two separate petitions on the issue have been filed in the apex court by advocates ML Sharma and John Brittas.
Sharma, in his plea, has sought a court-monitored probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the reports of alleged espionage.
An international media association has reported that more than 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of potential targets of surveillance using Pegasus spyware from Israeli firm NSO.
“Targeted surveillance using military-grade spyware is an unacceptable violation of the right to privacy, which has been recognized as a fundamental right under Articles 14 (equality before law), 19 (freedom of speech and expression) and 21 (protection of rights). life and personal liberty by the Supreme Court),” said the petition filed by the two journalists.
It said the hacking of phones of journalists, doctors, lawyers, activists, ministers and opposition leaders “seriously compromises” the effective exercise of the fundamental right to freedom of expression.
It states that such an act has a clear chilling effect on expression by threatening to invade the most basic and private aspects of a person’s life.
According to the petition, hacking of the phone using Pegasus spyware has been made under sections 66 (computer-related offence), 66B (punishment for dishonestly obtaining stolen computer resources or communication equipment), 66E (punishment for breach of privacy). is an offense punishable under 66F of the IT Act (punishment for cyber terrorism), punishable with imprisonment and/or fine.
(with PTI inputs)
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