Pegasus Row: SC Agrees To Hear Petition Seeking Probe Into Phone Hacking

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition filed by journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar, seeking a probe into the Pegasus snooping row.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana said on Friday that the plea may be taken up next week “depending on the workload.”

Kapil Sibal, who appeared before a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Ramana, requested the CJI to list the matter urgently.

Sibal stressed that the alleged surveillance has large-scale ramifications on the ‘civil liberty’ of citizens.

“The civil liberties of citizens, politicians belonging to Opposition parties, journalists, court staff have been put under surveillance. This is an issue which is making waves in India and world… requires an urgent hearing,” the advocate said.

Also Read: Pegasus Hacking: Illegal Surveillance Not Possible, Says Union Minister Vaishnaw

It’s the first petition on Pegasus that the top court has agreed to hear. Two others are pending before the Supreme Court on the Pegasus controversy, which has led to the Opposition stalling Parliament.

Ram and Kumar’s petition seeks direction for an independent inquiry, headed by a sitting/retired Supreme Court judge, to investigate allegations that Israeli spyware Pegasus was used to hack phones of over 300 Indian citizens, including lawyers, politicians, journalists and human rights activists.

Also Read: Pegasus Spyware: Know Indian Journalists Whose Numbers Are On Leaked Target List