Pegasus controversy: SC to pronounce order next week, CJI said to constitute technical expert committee

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it plans to set up a committee of technical experts to look into allegations of unauthorized surveillance using Pegasus software made by an Israeli firm NSO Group and will pass an order in this regard by next week.

During the hearing, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said the matter was taking time as some experts had refused to be part of the team citing personal difficulties to become members of the committee. So it is taking time to set up the committee.

The CJI said the court would be able to finalize the members and pronounce the order by next week.

Responding to the petitions, the Center had submitted that the issue was fraught with questions of national security, due to which, it did not want to put everything in the public affidavit to be filed in the court and made it a matter of public debate. But the domain was willing to examine it by a committee of experts who could submit their report to the court. It urged the court to allow the government to constitute a committee that would go into all aspects of the matter.

The Supreme Court, while reserving its order in this matter on September 13, had said that it will pronounce the same in 2-3 days.

Preserving its order, a three-judge bench headed by the CJI said, “We … are not in any way or any way interested in knowing the issues which may be related to security or defense or any other national We are concerned only in the face of allegations that certain software was used against certain citizens, journalists, lawyers etc., to know whether the use of this software by the Government is under law. in any manner other than the permissible.”