Pegasus Snooping Row: Supreme Court Hearing On Pleas For Independent Probe-LIVE UPDATES
A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana to hear petitions seeking probe into reports of targeted surveillance using Pegasus Spyware.The Petitions are filed by 1) ML Sharma, 2) Rajya Sabha MPJohn Brittas, 3) Journalist N Ram and Sashi Kumar, 4) Jagdeep Chokkar, 5) Narendra Mishra, 6) Journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, 7) Journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, 8) SNM Abdi and...
A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana to hear petitions seeking probe into reports of targeted surveillance using Pegasus Spyware.
The Petitions are filed by
1) ML Sharma, 2) Rajya Sabha MPJohn Brittas, 3) Journalist N Ram and Sashi Kumar, 4) Jagdeep Chokkar, 5) Narendra Mishra, 6) Journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, 7) Journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, 8) SNM Abdi and 9) Editors Guild of India
Bench asks parties to serve copies on the Government of India. Lists the matter next Tuesday.
CJI tells notice cannot be issued in his petition.
"You have added individual persons etc. I can't issue notice straightaway", CJI says. (Sharma has added Narendra Modi as a respondent).
CJI : Then all the other counsels, let them serve copies to the government. Somebody should appear for the government to take notice.
CJI : Then all the other counsels, let them serve copies to the government. Somebody should appear for the government to take notice.
CJI : Any body served the copy to the Govt of India.
Divan says that his petitions were served on the Attorney General and Solicitor General in advance.
CJI and Justice Surya Kant now conferring with each other. Bench muted.
CJI asks counsel to wait.
Bench now hears ML Sharma.
Sharma says that the spyware allows a person sitting in America or elsewhere to open the phone using a password and any document can be planted.
Datar says that judiciary needs to take this as a class action kind of proceeding.
Datar : IT Act, when they amended in 2009, never contemplated such a sophisticated attack. So judiciary has to take a vanguard position.
Datar : Today 300 people have come to light. God knows who many else are there.
Datar : Supreme Court has held that privacy is not just physical privacy and includes mental privacy. Supreme Court has held privacy permeates through Part III. This is a matter concerning Art 21.