Thread by @barandbench

[#PegasusSnoopgate #SupremeCourt]

CJI NV Ramana led bench to hear a batch of petitions seeking various prayers including a court monitored probe, a judicial inquiry & directions to the government to reveal details about whether it had used the Pegasus software to spy on citizens

Centre had informed #SupremeCourt it will form a Committee of Experts in the field which will go into all aspects of the Pegasus snooping scandal

#PegasusProject #SupremeCourt

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan to continue with submissions today #SupremeCourt #PegasusSnoopgate

Supreme Court, after Centre raised, national security concerns had stated that perhaps the Govt does not want to take a stand #SupremeCourt
#PegasusSnoopgate

Read more at bit.ly/3g6q7TW

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told Supreme Court that the Pegasus Spyware issue was a sensitive one, and that attempts were being made to turn it into a sensational one #SupremeCourt #PegasusSnoopgate

barandbench.com/news/litigatio…

Before the hearing begins, Advocate ML Sharma apologizes to court officers. "I am sorry for yesterday".

CJI Ramana had pulled up Sharma for "threatening court officers and had asked him not to test "patience" of the judges.

#SupremeCourt #PegasusSnoopgate

Bench assembles
#SupremeCourt

Matter begins #SupremeCourt #PegasusSnoopgate

Sr Adv CU Singh: i am appearing along with Mr Sibal

CJI: Mr Mehta (SG Tushar Mehta)... ??

Sr Adv Colin Gonsalves: a plea has been filed by an expert group on surveillance. they have filed an elaborate petition with international precedents

#SupremeCourt #PegasusSnoopgate

Sr Adv Colin Gonsalves: The plea by Software Freedom law centre has been numbered but i was asked to mention this. I seek this to be tagged with these matterts

CJI again calls for Solicitor General Mehta

SG Mehta: Apropos to what was submitted yesterday. Our considered response is whatever we respectfully stated in last affidavit was examined

SG: Kindly examine from one point of view. my affidavit is sufficient. I am before the highest court of the country

Justice Bose: are you sure you want to say anything else?

CJI: Other counsels please mute yourselves. i will disconnect if you come on screen and talk.

SG resumes

SG: I am before the highest consitutional court of the country, Mr Sibal very rightly said there is a statutory mechanism which permits that interception can be there as statutory rules since its needed to combat terrorism. all plea pray for enquiry into this issue

SG: Now they say whether pegasus was used or not used. that's the only thing. Now we know that IT encryption rules is there for state security and national security purposes these software can be used.

SG: these software are purchased by every country, they want it to be divulged if the software has not been used. If we fdivulge this then the terrotists etc ca take preventive steps, t

SG: These are national security issues and we cannot hide anything from court, this has to be before a committee and cannot be a subject to public debate, Some web portals are weaving narrative that some software is used

If i ask the government to divulge this fact before the court then I will fail in my duty: SG

We can divulge to committee of experts and the expert body will be a neutral body. would you as a constitutional court expect such issues to be divulged before the court and put it up for public debate: SG

the committee will place its report before the court. But how can we senationalise the issue. if there is an illegitimate use then it cannot be countenanced by you. there cannot be anything more fair than this. : SG

Justice Kant: we as a court and you as the SG and all lawyers as officers of the court, none of us would like to compromise with the security of the nation. For the defence of the nation we are not going to disclose ANYTHING

Justice Kant: here some persons of eminence are alleging snooping and hacking of phones. Now this can also be done but only with permission of competent authority. What is the problem if the authority files an affidavit before us?

Justice Kant: Like you were are very reluctant to know it from govt and it can be confidential . We will issue a simple notice in these cases and let the authority file an affidavit as to what action was taken.

SG: We are all in our own right responsible citizens. Please assume a situation where i am a terrorist organisation and there would be security inception by a terrorist organisation, now if some country says pegasus was not used, then there are technologies we are unaware of

SG: Govt does not mind saying it before an expert group, suppose a terrorist organisation uses technology to communicate with sleeper cells and we say we are not using pegasus they will modulate the apparatus in such a way that it is not pegasus compatible.

SG: What is intended should come by an affidavit before you or a report by the committee. I am not saying i won't say to anyone i am only saying i wont tell this publicly. we can be before the expert committee #supremecourt

Technical glitches interrupt hearing #supremecourt #pegasus

Judges discuss among themselves

SG Mehta: I wish to make it clear that it is not my case that we don't want to divulge by an affidavit. my point is let me say it before a committee whose report will come before you

CJI: We cannot compel you to do something you don't want to.

CJI: We are thinking is we will issue notice for admission and list after sometime. let us see if we constitute a committee or do something else. if you want to do something then you can (to SG Mehta)

#supremecourt

Sibal: security of the state is as important to us as to the government. our intention is to not have security details. But he must reply whether pegasus as a technology was used or not.

SG: Your lordship please allow us to constitute a committee, they will not be govt members

CJI: We are not averse to the committee by you, but we are on admission stage. we need to think how to go ahead with the matter. presently we will issue notice and list after sometime

Sr Adv Shyam Divan: we want to make submissions

CJI: We are issuing notice. let the matter come up

CJI: Notice issued, Matter to be listed after 10 days. Meanwhile further course of action will be deliberated upon #supremecourt

CJI: Issue notice to the Govt of India.

Divan: Grateful for notice pre-admission. Please issue notice on this IA regarding the filing of an affidavit

SG: He cannot decide whether the cabinet secretary should file or someone else. he is saying who should file

Divan: I am entitled to make submission

CJI: no

Divan: we should be give time to make a presentation on the affidavits.

CJI: We dont want thousands of pages filed. only relevant pages to be read. you know the procedure of the Supreme Court.

#supremecourt

[BREAKING] Supreme Court issues notice to Central govt on petitions seeking probe into Pegasus Snoopgate; Govt says web portals weaving narrative

report by @DebayonRoy

#PegasusProject #SupremeCourt

Read story: bityl.co/8GBx

"What is the problem if (Govt) authority files an affidavit before us?" Supreme Court in Pegasus petitions [Read Courtroom Exchange]

report by @DebayonRoy

#PegasusProject #PegasusScandal #SupremeCourt

Read full story: bityl.co/8GCD