SC to set up expert committee to probe into Pegasus Snoopgate

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The Chief Justice of India NV Ramana told in the court that the Supreme Court is likely to set up an expert committee to probe into the Pegasus surveillance scandal. He said that the Court will pass the orders in the case next week.

Manohar Lal Sharma v. Union of India

However, the CJI also informed that some of the experts had expressed their inability to become part of the committee due to personal reasons which have led to the delay by the apex court in passing an order in this regard. He said that the court will finalize the members of the technical committee soon.

On 13 September that a bench comprising CJI NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli reserved interim order in the Pegasus case after the Central Government expressed unwillingness to file an affidavit stating whether it has used the Pegasus spyware or not.

On 17 August the court had issued notice to the Centre in the pleas after the Union submitted that it was willing to give details regarding the controversy to an expert committee, but not make it public before the court for fear of national security implications.

The Central Government had told the Supreme Court that it does not want to file an additional affidavit in the Pegasus issue, as national security aspects are involved. The Centre had added that it is willing to place the details before the expert committee proposed to be constituted by it to examine the issues.

The court had eventually reserved its order saying that it will pass orders without the Centre’s affidavit.