Pegasus Row: SC Can’t Compel ‘Reluctant’ Centre To File Detailed Affidavit

New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Monday it cannot compel a “reluctant” Centre to file a detailed affidavit on petitions seeking to know if the Pegasus spyware was used to snoop on certain citizens and steps it had taken to probe those allegations.

Denying claims that the Israeli spyware was used to target Opposition leaders, journalists and others, the Centre informed the apex court that a group of experts will be investigating into all such claims.

The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, will on Tuesday deliberate on whether the government should file a detailed affidavit in the matter, after the short one it submitted on Monday.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, argued that petitions seeking an independent probe into snooping allegations are based on “conjectures, surmises” and unsubstantiated media reports. The matter may have “national security implications” and cannot be managed by asking to furnish an affidavit etc, argued Mehta.

A batch of petitions, seeking an independent probe into allegations of surveillance through Pegasus spyware, had been filed.

Earlier, CJI Ramana had described the allegations as “serious”, but wondered why an FIR had not been filed to date if there was evidence to show the phones had been hacked.