Pegasus probe: SC sends notice, seeks Centre's reply within 10 days

Can't make public which software used for interception, Centre tells SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on a batch of PILs for court-monitored, independent probe into the Pegasus snooping case, amid the Centre's stance that which software was used for interception of phones for security purposes can't be open to public debate.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said the top court would examine the Centre's proposal to form a technical panel of experts to look into all aspects of the matter.

The court fixed the matter for consideration after two weeks.

The Union government led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended that several kinds of softwares are used by the security and military agencies to check anti-national and terrorist activities activities.

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"No government will make public what software it is using to allow terror networks to modulate its systems and escape tracking," he said.

He submitted that the Centre was ready to place all facts about surveillance before a expert technical committee which can give a report to the court.

With regard to the court's query if the Centre was ready to file a detailed affidavit, Mehta said that the response (two-page affidavit) filed on Monday sufficiently responded to the concerns raised by the petitioners journalist N Ram and others.

"I wish to make it clear, it is not my case that I don’t wish to divulge. Limited point is let me say that before a committee of experts," Mehta said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and others, appearing for petitioners, said, "We don’t want them to give any information as to security of the State. He must reply if Pegasus as a technology was used."

"We will discuss what needs to be done, whether a committee of experts or some other committee needs to be made," the bench said.

On July 18, an international investigative consortium reported that many Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were among the 50,000 numbers that were potentially targeted by the Israeli company NSO Group’s phone hacking software.

A batch of petitions including those by advocate M L Sharma, CPI(M) MP John Brittas, N Ram, former IIM professor Jagdeep Chokkar, Narendra Mishra, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Rupesh Kumar Singh, S N M Abdi and Editors Guild of India came up for hearing before the court.