Supreme Court verdict on Pegasus snooping matter - CPI Statement (Oct 27, 2021)

Communist Party of India

New Delhi,

October 27, 2021

Press Release

CPI Welcomes SC Verdict on Pegasus

The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India has issued today (on October 27, 2021) the following statement welcoming the Supreme Court verdict on Pegasus snooping matter:

The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India welcomes the Supreme Court verdict appointing a three-member expert committee into the Pegasus snooping matter. The committee has been directed to submit a report to the apex court in eight weeks. The order is in fact a reprimand of the government.

The Party notes that the Chief Justice of India in the order has specifically underlined the fact that there has been no specific denial by the Centre and also observed that the state cannot get free pass every time by raising national security concerns. The three-member committee will be headed by RV Raveendran, former Supreme Court Judge, and aided by Alok Joshi and other experts in the area of cybersecurity, digital forensics, and network and hardware.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli pronounced the verdict on October 27 on a batch of pleas seeking independent probe in the issue and said that the court has no option but to accept the submissions of petitioner prima facie and appoint an expert committee whose function will be overseen by the Supreme Court.

The CJI also made it clear that while we live in the era of information and recognise technology is important, we have to accept that it is equally important to safeguard the right to privacy, which is important for all citizens.

The CJI also underlined that it is undeniable that under surveillance it affects the right and freedom of people and how it is exercised. The pleas seeking independent probe are related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO’s spyware Pegasus.

The Party feels that its stand on the illegal snooping issue demanding a thorough probe is vindicated.

S/d

(Roykutty)

Office Secretary