Pegasus row: SC to hear plea against Bengal’s probe move
The Mamata Banerjee-led government recently set up the two-member commission, comprising justice Lokur and former acting chief justice of the Calcutta high court Jyotirmay Bhattacharya, to inquire into the snooping row.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine a petition for disbanding the two-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired judge Madan B Lokur, that has been set up by the West Bengal government to probe into the alleged surveillance of Indian citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, issued notices to the Centre and the West Bengal government, seeking their response to the plea which has sought quashing of the state government’s July 27 notification appointing the commission.
The bench, which also included justices Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose, said that the interim plea for suspending the proceedings of the commission will be considered on August 25, when the petition by NGO Global Village Foundation Public Charitable Trust will be heard next.
Representing the NGO, advocate Saurabh Mishra pointed out that since the bench, in a clutch of other petitions, is already contemplating an expert committee to examine all aspects of the Pegasus controversy, the proceedings before justice Lokur’s commission ought to be stayed to avoid any parallel inquiry.
“We will see. It is just a preliminary exercise. We will examine this on the next date,” responded the bench.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government, said he will be assisting the court on issues of constitutionality and legality of the subject involved.
The Mamata Banerjee-led government recently set up the two-member commission, comprising justice Lokur and former acting chief justice of the Calcutta high court Jyotirmay Bhattacharya, to inquire into the snooping row.
The NGO, in its petition, has said the Pegasus controversy has cross-border ramifications with footprints in India, and hence must be dealt with from a national perspective. “Considering the seriousness of the issue and its implications on the citizenry of the country as well as its cross-border implications, the Pegasus controversy warrants an in-depth investigation. This cannot be carried out in a truncated and unconstitutional manner as is sought to be done by the West Bengal government,” it added.
The Supreme Court is already seized of a bunch of petitions filed by politicians, journalists and activists, demanding a court-monitored independent probe into the alleged surveillance using Pegasus. Responding to these petitions, the Union government has offered setting up an expert committee to look into the row while maintaining that a “false narrative” is being spun over the use of Pegasus. The Centre has, however, refused to disclose whether it used Pegasus for tracking individuals, citing concerns of national security and defence of the country.
