Supreme Court to Probe Pegasus Spyware Controversy

The Supreme Court is set to hear pleas seeking investigation into the alleged unauthorized use of Pegasus spyware for surveillance. The court appointed a technical panel which found malware in five of 29 phones but could not confirm the use of Pegasus. The government denied cooperation in the probe.

The Supreme Court announced on Friday it would hold a hearing on April 22 regarding pleas for an inquiry into alleged unauthorized surveillance using Pegasus spyware on journalists and others.

The session, set by Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, was deferred after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested an adjournment because the matter had resurfaced after an extended period. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, indicated that other connected petitions required attention as well.

Previously, a technical panel established by the court detected malware in five out of 29 tested cellphones but could not conclusively tie it to Pegasus. The court noted the government's non-cooperation in the inquiry. The international media had reported about 300 Indian numbers possibly targeted by the spyware.