Supreme Court order didn’t restrain Bengal pegasus panel, says member

The apex court on Wednesday appointed a three-member panel of cyber experts to probe the alleged use of Israeli software Pegasus for surveillance of certain people in India.

A two-member commission set up by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal to investigate alleged phone tapping of various persons of the state using Pegasus software is functioning as usual as the Supreme Court did not say anything on the panel in its Wednesday’s order, one of its members, Justice (retd) Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya, said.

It was alleged in media reports that TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was under surveillance. (Shutterstock/File)

The apex court on Wednesday appointed a three-member panel of cyber experts to probe the alleged use of Israeli software Pegasus for surveillance of certain people in India.

“Since the Supreme Court order of Wednesday did not refer to us (the two-man commission) or touch upon us, there is no restraint order on our activities,” Justice (retd) Bhattacharya said on Thursday. The former Calcutta high court chief justice told PTI that the panel is working as usual as per its mandate.

The other member is former SC judge Justice (retd) Madan B Lokur. The panel was set up in July. It was alleged in media reports that TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was under surveillance along with the party’s poll strategist Prashant Kishor and several other leaders during the assembly polls.