'No parallel debates': SC to Pegasus petitioners, adjourns hearing to Aug 16

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of pleas seeking a SIT probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping controversy till August 16. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had requested the apex court to grant him time to seek instructions from the government on the issue. The court also objected to the parallel debates being held on social media by some of the petitioners.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of pleas seeking SIT probe in the alleged Pegasus snooping controversy till August 16, thereby giving additional time to the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek instructions from the government on the issue. It is known that a bunch of pleas had been filed by the Editors Guild, senior journalists N Ram, Sashi Kumar and personalities like Professor Jagdeep Chokar.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Surya Kant also objected to the parallel debates being held on social media and websites by some of the petitioners, who had filed the pleas seeking an independent probe, saying they need to have some discipline. The Chief Justice made it clear that court is not against debates but that when the matter is sub-judice, it must be debated in the court itself.

Read:Pegasus snooping serious, if media reports correct: SC

Meanwhile, the Solicitor General appearing on behalf of the central government informed the bench that he needed some time to take instructions from the government on the issue. Following which the Supreme Court bench posted the matter for hearing till next Monday (August 16).

Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, arguing for senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar who are among the petitioners, said that Ram was trolled on social media post the earlier hearing on the issue of court proceedings related to the Pegasus issue. Replying to this, the SC bench stated that the matter must be discussed in the court only and the petitioners have been instructed to refrain from debating on the issue on social media platforms, adding that there should be faith in the judiciary.

The Supreme Court in its earlier hearing had said that if media reports are correct, then the allegation of Pegasus-related snooping are serious.

Last month, a leaked database of thousands of telephone numbers, believed to have been listed by multiple government clients of an Israeli surveillance technology firm, including over 300 verified Indian mobile telephone numbers, including those used by ministers, opposition leaders, journalists, the legal community, businessmen, government officials, scientists, rights activists and others.

Read:Govt had no transaction with NSO Group, says Ministry of Defence on 'Pegasus Project'