THE Central Government through an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court has opposed the petitions seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the Pegasus snooping scandal.
Denying the allegations made in the petitions ‘unequivocally’, the Ministry of Information and Electronics said they were all based on conjecture and surmise or on unsubstantiated media reports or incomplete or uncorroborated material and could, therefore, not be the basis for invoking the writ jurisdiction of the court.
The Centre, however, said to dispel the “wrong narrative” spread by certain vested interests and with the object of examining the issues raised, the Union of India will constitute a Committee of Experts in the field to look into all aspects of the matter.
JUST IN: Centre has filed an affidavit in the SC on the #Pegasus snooping issue. Says all the petitions are based on conjectures and surmises or on the unsubstantiated media reports. Adds, it will constitute a Expert Committee in the field to go into all the aspects of the issue. pic.twitter.com/R9ed9hGCEg
— The Leaflet (@TheLeaflet_in) August 16, 2021
Following the revelations, several petitions were filed in the Supreme Court. Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, Director of the Hindu Group of publications N Ram, founder of Asianet Sashi Kumar, Editors Guild of India, journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, SNM Abdi, Prem Shankar Jha, Rupesh Kumar Singh and Ipsa Shatakshi, advocate ML Sharma and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha are among the petitioners.
