SC to set up expert probe panel, order next week
The court intended to pass orders this week itself but some of the technical experts who were approached by the top court declined to be a part of the committee citing personal difficulty... We will be able to finalise the members of the technical experts team by next week and pronounce orders.
— Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it has decided to set up a committee of technical experts to inquire into the snooping of the mobile phones of political leaders, top court judges, veteran media-persons and eminent people using the Israeli Pegasus spyware.
Chief Justice N.V. Ramana heading a bench also comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli said that the order about constituting the expert committee will be passed next week.
Responding to a mentioning by senior lawyer C.U. Singh, Chief Justice Ramana said that the court intended to pass orders this week itself but some of the technical experts who were approached by the top court declined to be a part of the committee citing personal difficulty.
Mr Singh appeared for one of the petitioner before the top court seeking a probe into the alleged illegal snooping of the mobile phones of eminent people using the Israeli Pegasus spyware.
“That is why it is taking time to constitute the technical expert Committee,” CJI Ramana said. “We will be able to finalise the members of the technical experts team by next week and pronounce orders,” he added.
This cleared the air over the delay in passing of the interim order that was reserved on September 13.
While reserving the order, the top court gave liberty to the Centre to inform it if there was any change of stance on its part.
Cold-shouldering the Centre’s offer to get the entire controversy inquired into by domain experts independent of the government or those having monetary connection with it, CJI Ramana had told the government not to beat around the bush.
Right from the first hearing of the matter till
September 13, the Centre, invoking the national security concerns including the fight against terror, insisted that the entire matter may be inquired into by a committee of experts which in turn would give its report to the top court.
The Centre, however, has repeatedly ruled out stating upfront or putting it on an affidavit whether or not it used Pegasus spyware.
Reserving its interim order on the way forward in addressing the prayers of the petitioner seeking an independent probe into the snooping scandal, the court had said that it has given “reasonable and fair opportunity” to the Centre to file a detailed affidavit.