Pegasus- Supreme Court Hearing-LIVE UPDATES

Gonsalves: I'm referring to these to say that Central Govt and States are indulging in widespread interception. If that is the case, we cannot rely on the principal wrong doer to form a committee and do an investigation.

Gonsalves says 5000 interception orders are issued every month. He also refers to NDTV report.

CJI: We are not on these issues. We are going to consider what is the interim order we can pass in these cases.

Gonsalves refers to a report by Citizens Lab.

Solicitor General: I have reservations about this report. Mr.Gonsalves has this habit of referring to self-serving reports. I did not say this for the others.

Sr Adv Colin Gonsalves appearing in petitions filed by SFLC and alleged Pegasus target Degree Prasad Chouhan.

"Union of India and state govts have been engaging in widespread surveillance for very very long", Gonsalves.

CJI: Anymore counsels?

Sr Adv Meenakshi Arora for RS MP John Brittas says there should a SIT headed by a retired judge to investigate the matter.

Sr Adv Rakesh Dwivedi: The Govt should be asked to say if they have used the spyware or not. Second this, your lordships should enquire into matter instead of a govt committee.

Sr Adv Rakesh Dwivedi: If the govt made a statement at least saying we have not used the malware or spied on the petitioners, that would have been the end of the matter.

Sr Adv Rakesh Dwivedi: Allowing the Govt to constitute a committee and asking our phones to be surrendered to it will be a secretive exercise. It will not be a credible exercise in which people of the country will have faith.

Sr Adv Rakesh Dwivedi: Committee has to be formed not by the Govt. It is a question of credibility. 

CJI: Govt says they will form a committee. It is a different matter if we will accept it or not. Everybody wants an enquiry or some sort of investigation.