Applications before the Supreme Court highlighted violations of the right to privacy, alleging that the Israeli spy was a military software intended for government and government agencies only.
About four months after the Supreme Court set up RV Raveendran’s Justice (retd) committee to “immediately” investigate Pegasus’ scandal, the panel sent an interim report on allegations that they were spying on journalists, activists and politicians using Israeli spies.
A three-judge panel headed by the Chief Justice of India will consider the report on February 23, when requests for an independent inquiry into the scandal will be heard.
Recognizing that citizens need to be protected from breach of privacy, the CJI Bench, on October 27, set up an independent panel headed by Justice Raveendran assisted by former IPS chief Alok Joshi and Dr Sundeep Oberoi, chairman, International Coordinating Committee (International Organization / International Organization). International Technology Commission (Joint Technology Committee) in overseeing the work of the three-member technical committee.
Technical committee members Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics) and Dean, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar; Dr Prabaharan P, Professor (School of Engineering); Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala; and Dr. Ashwin Anil Gumaste, Principal Chair of the Institute (Computer Science and Engineering), IIT, Bombay.
“The state cannot always obtain a free passport whenever national security is promoted,” the high court said.