Pegasus probe in Bengal to go slow after SC nudge
Of course, it (commission by West Bengal) has a bearing with the set of other matters being heard by us. In all fairness, we expect that you can wait for some time... you will have to maintain restraint
JUSTICE NV RAMANA, CJI
NEW DELHI: Nudged by the Supreme Court, the West Bengal government on Wednesday agreed to go slow on its probe into the Pegasus snooping controversy by a two-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired judge Madan B Lokur.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, was clear that since the entire gamut of Pegasus controversy was being considered by it in a separate bunch of cases where the Union government has offered to set up an expert committee to examine various aspects of charges related to the alleged snooping, it made sense for the West Bengal panel to “show restraint”.
“Of course, it (commission by West Bengal) has a bearing with the set of other matters being heard by us. In all fairness, we expect that you can wait for some time... you will have to maintain restraint,” the CJI-led bench told the state government.
NEW DELHI: Nudged by the Supreme Court, the West Bengal government on Wednesday agreed to go slow on its probe into the Pegasus snooping controversy by a two-member Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired judge Madan B Lokur.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, was clear that since the entire gamut of Pegasus controversy was being considered by it in a separate bunch of cases where the Union government has offered to set up an expert committee to examine various aspects of charges related to the alleged snooping, it made sense for the West Bengal panel to “show restraint”.
“Of course, it (commission by West Bengal) has a bearing with the set of other matters being heard by us. In all fairness, we expect that you can wait for some time. If you want us to pass some orders, we can do that too. But you will have to maintain restraint,” the bench, which also included justice Surya Kant, told senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for the state government.
At the outset of the hearing, senior advocate Harish Salve, who represented the petition filed by NGO Global Village Foundation Public Charitable Trust seeking disbanding of the commission, submitted that there cannot be two parallel inquiries in same subject matter.
Opposing this, Singhvi questioned the bonafide of the petition but the bench remained firm that notwithstanding the petitioner’s legal standing, the state government will have to hold its hand till the court takes up all the cases together some
SUPREME COURT BENCH
...you will have to agree to not do anything. You will not issue public notice or hold
hearings.
time next week.
“The other cases will have pari materia effect (form part of the same subject matter) on this case too. We will have your assistance when we hear those cases but you will have to agree to not do anything. You will not issue public notice or hold hearings,” the bench told Singhvi.
At this, the senior counsel sought to point out that nothing drastic will be done by the commission in the next one or two weeks but it must also be taken note of that there is a panel which is already examining the matter.
“Between now and next week, nothing earth-shattering is happening. But a single word by your lordships word will create a huge splash and that’s what they want,” submitted Singhvi.
The bench, however, retorted: “But it is you who is inviting an order. We are saying that we will not stay (the proceedings before the commission) because you have agreed that you will not precipitate the matter. But if you start hearing and holding inquiries then we will have to stop it. Please, show restraint.”
With the writing on the wall clear, Singhvi responded: “Please, say nothing. The court does not need to say anything. I will convey it. Nothing will happen for one or two weeks.”
Following the assurance from Singhvi, the court issued a formal notice on the NGO’s petition and tagged it with the clutch of other cases filed by journalists, politicians and civil rights activists who have demanded a courtmonitored investigation into the alleged snooping row.
The Pegasus row erupted on July 18 after an international investigative consortium reported that the phones of Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were among the 50,000 numbers from around the world that were potentially targeted by the Israeli company NSO Group’s phone hacking software. The devices of at least 67 of the numbers were analysed by Amnesty International and of these, 37 had signs of being hacked by Pegasus. Of these 37, 10 were in India. NSO says its software is sold only to government customers.