Page 10 - The Indian EYE 080621

NATION AUGUST 06, 2021 | The Indian Eye 10

SurveillaNce iSSue:

Supreme court calls pegasus

snooping reports “serious”

Top journalists who are reported to be on the potential list of snoop targets of

spyware approach the top court along with The Editors Guild of India

S GOpal puri

New Delhi

he Supreme Court on
Thursday observed that
Tthe allegations about the
Central government allegedly
using Israeli software Pegasus
to spy on people “are serious
if news reports are correct”. A
Bench of Chief Justice of India
NV Ramana and Justice Surya
Kant, however, asked people
who approached the top court
why was any criminal complaint
not registered by persons affect-
ed by the snooping.

“we want to ask some

questions. no doubt the

allegations are serious if
reports in newspapers are

correct. the majority of NSUI supporters scroll their mobile phones during a protest against the Central Government over the Pegasus
snooping issue at the NSUI office, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI)
petitions rely on foreign

newspapers, but is there The Bench asked senior ad- with your access to international Party of India (Marxist) con-
vocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for material, resources, they (peti- tended that the issue of surveil-
any verifiable material for senior journalists N Ram and tioners) should have made more lance was raised in Parliament
us to order an inquiry?” Sashi Kumar, why after two years efforts?” Chief Justice told Sibal. in November 2019 and the then
petitions have been filed when Senior advocate CU Singh minister of IT Ravi Shankar
asked the Bench during in 2019, itself reports surfaced appearing in another petition Prasad had said there was no
the hearing. regarding the use of Pegasus to told the Bench that petitions unauthorized interception.
At the outset, Sibal contend-
infiltrate WhatsApp. “The sur- have been filed now because
veillance issue came to light two the names of the persons tar- ed that the Pegasus is a “rogue
The top court was hearing years ago, why come now sud- geted were not known in 2019. technology” which enters our
a batch of petitions seeking a denly?” asked the Bench. “If you The names were known after a lives without our knowledge
court-monitored probe into know your phone is hacked, why forensic analysis was done by an and it surveys every moment.
the reports of the government not file a criminal complaint?” international agency, he added. “It penetrates into our na-
allegedly using Israeli software “We are not saying petitions Senior advocate Meenakshi tional internet backbone. It is
Pegasus to spy on politicians, are based on hearsay and we can- Arora, appearing for MP John an assault on privacy, dignity
activists, and journalists. not say there is no material, but Brittas of Communist Marxist Continued on next page... >>

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