West Bengal forms inquiry panel to look into Pegasus snooping row

The two-member commission will be headed by former Calcutta HC CJ Jyotirmay Bhattacharya and former SC judge Madan Bhimrao Lokur

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that her government has set up an inquiry commission to look into the alleged Pegasus snooping row.

Speaking to journalists at the State Secretariat, Mamata said the two-member commission shall comprise of former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya and former Supreme Court judge Madan Bhimrao Lokur.

“The phones of several political leaders, industrialists and journalists have been tapped. We (Trinamool Congress) have protested during the Monsoon session of the Parliament. We thought the Centre would investigate the matter. But they have not done anything. So I have set up the commission before my trip to Delhi,” said the Chief Minister.

Also Read | 2 Colonels, ex-BSF chief, BSF IG, former RAW official under Pegasus scanner: Report

She asserted that West Bengal was the first state to form such a commission and expressed hope that other states will soon follow suit.

"Names of people from West Bengal figured on the Pegasus target list. The Centre is trying to spy on everyone. The commission will probe this illegal hacking," said Mamata.

According to the order issued by the State Government, the Commission will look into whether incidents of "reported interception" took place; the involvement of "State and non-State actors"; the mechanism "and/or spyware and/or malware" that were being used for such reported interception.

It further stated that the Commission has been formed "to inquire into whether any software such as Pegasus of NSO Group Technologies located at Herzliya, Israel and/or spyware or malware of any other organisation had been in use and/or currently being used conduct such reported interception.”

It stated that the committee will investigate circumstances including "provocations, instigation" from any person or a group that led to the reported interception.

"The Commission may submit its report embodying the findings and its recommendations thereon to the State Government within a period of six months from the date of this notification," stated the order.