[BREAKING] Editors Guild of India moves Supreme Court seeking SIT probe into Pegasus snoopgate, disclosure of list of persons spied

Editors Guild of India, a society established with the object of protecting press freedom, has approached the Supreme Court of India seeking probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Pegasus snoopgate. .Besides, seeking SIT probe, the plea also sought directions to be issued to the Central government to produce details of contracts entered into with foreign companies for deploying spyware for surveillance and the persons against whom such spyware was used. .The plea, a public interest litigation (PIL) petition challenged the constitutional vires of electronic surveillance, hacking and use of spyware, and the existing legal architecture for surveillance."The citizens of India have a right to know if the Executive government is infringing the limits of their authority under the Constitution and what steps have been taken to safeguard their fundamental rights," it was submitted. All attempts to seek accountability and enforce constitutional limits through Parliamentary processes have been stonewalled, it added. The petitioner took specific exception to journalists being targeted using the spyware stating that freedom of the press relies on non-interference by the government and its agencies in reporting of journalists.The petition has been filed through advocates Rupali Samuel, Raghav Tankha and Lzafeer Ahmad BF. .Besides seeking SIT probe, the petitioner also sought directions to be issued to the Central government to produce the orders issued authorising the interception, monitoring and decryption of electronic communication devices of Indian citizens under the relevant law and rules, with the reasons in writing for issuance of the same.The plea also sought information regarding the following: - Did the Union of India, or any of its agencies, procure, license, obtain and/or use the spyware ‘Pegasus’ from ‘NSO Group’ or its group companies and/or affiliates on Indian Citizens?- Did the Union of India, or any of its agencies, procure, license, obtain and/or use of spyware, hacking or electronic surveillance tools of any name from ‘NSO Group’ or its group companies and/or affiliates on Indian Citizens?- Direct the Union of India to produce any contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding entered into with foreign companies for supplying spyware, hacking or electronic surveillance for use on Indian Citizens.- Direct the Union of India to disclose the details of the list of people that have been under electronic surveillance, hacking, or otherwise spied on, including the details of who prepared and populated the said list and the details of every Indian citizen on the list..This would be the fourth PIL filed before Supreme Court in relation to the scandal. Earlier, advocates ML Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas and journalists, N Ram and Sashi Kumar had also approached the top court for probe into the issues. Those petitions are slated for hearing on Thursday this week.Five journalists, whose names figured in the Pegasus snooping list released by media, had also approached the top court on Monday though not by way of a PIL.