Pegasus row: SC appoints expert committee to investigate spying allegations

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed a three-member expert committee to investigate the
allegations that the Pegasus software was used for spying on Indian citizens, including journalists and political leaders, Bar and Bench reported.

The committee will be headed by former Supreme Court judge RV Raveendran, Chief Justice NV Ramana said. Former Research and Analysis Wing chief Alok Joshi and cybersecurity expert Sandeep Oberoi are the other members of the panel.

The court asked the committee to investigate the allegations “expeditiously” and listed the matter for hearing after eight weeks.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Ramana said that restriction on privacy can only be imposed in matters of national security.

“It is undeniable that under surveillance it affects the right and freedom of people and how it is exercised,” he said. “It also about freedom of press and the important role played by them, such technology may have chilling effect on right to press.”

The surveillance allegations pertain to a leaked list of more than 50,000 phone numbers, that was accessed by Paris-based media nonprofit Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International. As part of the Pegasus Project, the organisations had shared the list with 17 news outlets across the world.

According to the Wire, which focused on the Indian portion of the list, the potential targets in India include Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, former Election Commissioner of…

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