Pegasus issue: Apex court to hear plea against Bengal’s probe move

NEW DELHI: 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.