Supreme Court stays Pegasus snooping probe by West Bengal's Lokur panel

Satya Prakash

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the ongoing investigation by the Justice Madan B Lokur Commission of Inquiry appointed by the West Bengal Government to probe into the Pegasus snooping scandal.

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A Bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana issued the restraint order after it was told that the Justice Lokur Commission continued to function despite the setting up of an expert committee by the Supreme Court to look into the matter.

The Bench also issued a notice on a plea seeking quashing of the West Bengal notification that set up the commission.

It also allowed the request of senior advocate Harish Salve, representing the Global Village Foundation Public Charitable Trust, to add the commission’s secretary as a party to the proceedings.

“What is this Mr Singhvi? You told us there is no need to order…,” the Bench asked senior advocate AM Singhvi, representing the West Bengal Government.

“I had conveyed the need for restraint but the commission is not controlled by me…. They didn’t work till your orders were out…,” Singhvi responded.

“We understand your predicament,” the Bench told Singhvi while staying all further proceedings of the Justice Lokur Commission.

As advocate ML Sharma, one of the petitioners in the case, said it amounted to “gross contempt of court”, the CJI said, “We will see.”

Noting that citizens need to be protected from violation of privacy, the SC had on October 27 set up an expert committee led by former top court judge RV Raveendran to look into allegations of snooping on journalists, activists and politicians using Pegasus. Asking the panel to expeditiously probe the matter and submit a report to it, the Bench had posted the matter for hearing after eight weeks. Now, the main case is likely to come up for hearing in January.