Shivani Pandey-
Published on: August 18, 2021 14:51 IST
The Supreme Court issued Notice to the Centre and the West Bengal Government over a Plea questioning the setting up of a two-member Commission for Probe by the Mamata Banerjee Government into the alleged Pegasus Snooping.
A Bench led by Chief Justice N V Ramana issued notices to the Centre and the West Bengal Government on the Plea and hung it for hearing on August 25.
Advocate Saurabh Mishra, representing the Petitioner stated that they had questioned the Commission of grounds of Jurisdiction. He argued that the Proceedings should not be carried forward as the issue is being investigated at a National level.
The Court refused to put a hold on the Proceedings, Justice Surya Kant stated that the Committee was taking only ‘preliminary steps’.
Former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya and former Supreme Court Judge Justice Madan B Lokur are members of the Commission of Inquiry as formulated by the West Bengal Government.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta however labeled the Committee as ‘Unconstitutional’.
An International Media house had reported that around 300 Verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of probable targets for surveillance using Pegasus spyware.
Also Read- The Pegasus Controversy: It’s Implications in India