Supreme Court Makes Key Comments on Pegasus Report

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday made it clear that the report submitted by the technical committee on the Pegasus spyware controversy cannot be made public. The bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh stated that the report contained sensitive matters pertaining to national security and sovereignty, and thus could not be disclosed.

The bench opined that it would be inappropriate to subject issues related to national security to public debate. “We will not make public any report related to national security and sovereignty. Such reports should not be turned into documents for street debates,” remarked the bench. These comments were made during the hearing of petitions filed regarding the Pegasus affair.

At the same time, the bench indicated that concerns related to violations of personal privacy could be addressed. It suggested that specific cases where individuals believe their right to privacy has been infringed could be examined. While giving utmost importance to national security, the Supreme Court appeared open to hearing complaints related to personal privacy violations.

It is notable that the Supreme Court had previously constituted a technical experts' committee under its supervision to investigate the Pegasus matter. Although the committee has submitted its report, the apex court has decided to keep its contents confidential.