New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has received a setback from the Supreme Court in the Pegasus espionage case. The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the investigation of the commission constituted by the Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal under the chairmanship of retired judge MB Lokur.
According to media reports, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the investigation of the commission constituted by the Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal headed by retired judge Justice MB Lokur on allegations of Pegasus espionage. A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli took cognizance of a plea that the commission has started its work despite assurances from the West Bengal government. The Government of West Bengal had assured that the Lokur Committee would not take further action on the investigation.
The Supreme Court on October 27 constituted a three-member committee of cyber experts to probe the alleged use of Pegasus, Israel’s spy software, to monitor certain people in India. It had said that every citizen needs protection against privacy violations and the court cannot remain a mute spectator by merely appealing for national security on behalf of the government.
Former Supreme Court Justice MB Lokur and former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya are members of the Commission of Inquiry. The West Bengal government had announced the formation of this inquiry commission last month. A consortium of international media organizations said that more than 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers are on the list of potential people for surveillance using Pegasus spy software.
Let us tell you that recently, the committee constituted under the chairmanship of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has also questioned the officials concerned regarding the Pegasus case. Along with this, politics in India on this matter has been heated for the past several months. On the other hand, there is also news that the spyware firm NSO, which operates Pegasus, has started preparing to sell it.
