SC appoints cyber expert panel to probe Pegasus snooping allegations

The Supreme Court Wednesday appointed a three-member panel of cyber experts to probe the alleged use of Israeli spyware Pegasus for surveillance of various people in India including politicians, court staff, journalists and social activists.

Stating that “justice must not only be done, but also be seen to be done,” the apex court rejected the Centre’s plea to allow it to appoint an expert committee to investigate the allegations on the grounds that such a course of action would violate the settled judicial principle against bias.

The top court urged its former judge Justice R V Raveendran to oversee the functioning of the three member panel and sought a report expeditiously from the committee.