Pegasus Row: Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas moves Supreme Court for SIT probe

Slamming inaction of  Centre and lamenting claims that it did t pry on citizens using Israeli spyware- Pegasus, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas of Communist Marxist Party of India (Marxist) filed a writ petition moving Supreme Court for a court-monitored probe executed by a Special Investigation Team into alleged soping of journalists, activists and politicians using malicious software. 

petition is pursuant to statements by Union Minister of Electronics and Information Techlogy Ashwini Yadav in Parliament to state that Government of India neir denied r affirmed allegations of soping by Pegasus spyware. Despite nature of grave allegations, petitioner stresses that GOI did t pay heed to investigate matter. 

plea read, "It is only an evasive statement of Government. Government has unequivocally accepted statement of company, NSO, which owns alleged spyware techlogy and blindly accepted ir version without investigation."

plea also points out that GOI had said that " unauthorised interception" had taken place which gives rise to query- if interception was authorised and Centre has t come forth with a clarification on how such interception was sanctioned.

"Pegasus spyware is grave violation of fundamental rights": MP John Brittas' plea

petitioner in his plea before SC has sought an SIT to probe matter because issue involves citizens' fundamental right to privacy and gross exploitation of Centre's power to keep an eye on its citizens or persons in concern. 

"If Pegasus Spyware was used in an unauthorised manner that is in violation of fundamental rights under Article 19(1)(a) and 21 and also a slap on face of right to privacy upheld by this Hon'ble Court in Puttaswamy case. re is also a violation of provisions of IT Act & Indian Telegraph Act for which strict penal action needs to be done after an immediate, independent, transparent," plea furr read. 

What is Pegasus spyware row?

A report by sixteen media houses claimed that 300 verified Indian mobile telephone numbers were allegedly spied upon using Israeli surveillance techlogy firm Pegasus - which only has 36 vetted governments as its clients. As per a 'leaked' database, numbers of those allegedly spied upon include over 40 journalists, three major opposition figures, one constitutional authority, two serving cabinet ministers, current and former heads, and officials of security organizations and businessmen. target also includes eight activists currently accused and incarcerated in  Bhima Koregaon case. report claimed that leaked numbers mainly belong to ten countries - India, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.