CJI: We thought the Government will file a counter-affidavit and will decide further course of action. Now the only issue to be considered is the interim orders to be passed.
Sibal: Why should government be allowed to form a committee on its own? It should be completely away from govt control.
Sibal refers to the Hawal case where a panel of retired judges were constituted to probe the allegations and prays for a similar course to be adopted in #Pegasus cases.
Sibal: The fact that they(Govt of India) have not denied it means that they have used it.
Sibal: International agencies have accepted the fact that Indians were targeted. Experts have said the phones of Indians have been hacked. They have no bias against India. Yesterday, Germany also accepted that. But the Govt of India does not want to accept.
Sibal: The petitioners have said that their privacy has been impacted, their devices targeted. And the govt now says it does not want to file an affidavit !
Sibal refers to the definition of "cyber incidents" under IT Rules.
Sibal refers to former IT Minister RS Prasad statement about CERT_N issuing notice to WhatsApp on #Pegasus issue.
"What has happened to that?", Kapil Sibal asks.
Sibal: Minister said govt has taken note of the reports about 120 Indians phones being infected by Pegasus. The statement is an admission.
Sibal points out to the bench the statement made by former IT Minister RS Prasad in Parliament in response to question of @asadowaisi on #Pegasus issue.