The Pegasus Project and its revelations on surveillance have prompted others including a Rajya Sabha MP to approach the apex court and seek a judicial probe into the matter. Senior news editors N Ram and Sashi Kumar filed a petition* before the Supreme Court to compel the Indian government to directly answer if it purchased the Pegasus spyware, Live Law first reported. The government has not denied using the spyware, and since 2019, has been evasive on the subject in Parliament. MediaNama confirmed the petition with Kumar. The petition brings up the following questions: Has targeted surveillance been conducted on journalists, doctors, lawyers, opposition politicians, ministers, constitutional functionaries and civil society activists by illegally hacking into their phones using the Pegasus spyware? What are the implications of such a hack? Do they represent an attempt by agencies and organisations to muzzle and chill the exercise of free speech and expression of dissent in India? According to a list of prayers in the petition obtained by Live Law, Ram and Kumar have asked for the following: Compel the government to disclose if it used Pegasus spyware. Institute an enquiry by a sitting or retired Supreme Court justice. Pass any other orders in the interest of justice. https://twitter.com/LiveLawIndia/status/1419862803750416386 Why this matters: The Pegasus Project reports — first released in India by The Wire — has revealed that political leaders, journalists, military officials, intelligence agency officials, a former Supreme Court staffer, the Dalai Lama's entourage, and several others were subjected or potentially subjected to a…
