A PIL has been filed in the Hon’ble Supreme Court Seeking judicial probe by a Special Investigation Team into the alleged Snooping by the Government using Israeli Pegasus spyware.
The move comes after the various international publications reported on 19th July 2021, on the alleged Pegasus Snooping by the Government agencies over journalists, activists, politicians, etc.
An analysis report confirmed that at least 10 Indian mobile numbers belonging to politicians, including former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, were attacked or attempts were made to hack their mobile devices using Pegasus spyware, developed and licensed by an Israeli company, NSO Group.
The PIL was filed by Advocate ML Sharma on the Pegasus Snooping controversy mentioned Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and CBI as the respondents.
The PIL posed the following issues:
- Whether the Constitution allows Prime Minister and his Ministers to spy on citizens for their own political interests?
- Whether buying Pegasus spyware without approval contrary to Articles 266(3), 267(2), 283(2) of the Constitution and attracts offenses under the provisions of IPC?
- Whether such snooping over citizens, politicians, etc. attract offenses under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act of 1923, provisions of IT Act, 2000 and violates Article 21 of the Constitution.
