Pegasus snooping row: Editors Guild approaches SC, seeks SIT probe

The Editors of Guild of India has moved the Supreme Court with a public interest litigation seeking a court monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team into the Pegasus snooping row.

Challenging the Constitutional powers of the government for authorising such interception, the PIL has sought SC directives to the Centre to show the orders produced authorising monitoring & hacking of electronic devices of Indian citizens under the relevant law.

The PIL seeks a list of all those monitored in such a way and the reason behind the said surveillance, along with details of those who selected the citizens to be monitored and those who authorised the monitoring.

"The citizens of India have a right to know if the Executive government is infringing the limits of their authority under the Constitution," the Guild submitted in its plea.

The PIL has also sought details of all agreements the Centre has entered with foreign companies for the purchase of surveillance tools for use on Indian citizens with straightforward answers on the purchase of spyware from the NSO Group.

The journalistic body told the top court that the government has avoided public debate on the issue with obfuscated answers and all attempts to seek accountability trough Parliamentary processes have been stonewalled.

This is the 4th PIL in the top court in relation to the Pegasus snooping. Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar and advocate ML Sharma had also approached the court. A bench led by Chief Justice of India will consider a judicial probe into the matter on August 5th.