Pegasus: AG refuses permission to initiate contempt case against NSO, Home Secretary

The AG has refused to grant consent for initiation of contempt proceedings against the directors of NSO, Home secretary for alleged surveillance of a Supreme Court judge and its three judicial officers.

New Delhi: Attorney General of India, KK Venugopal, has refused Tamil Nadu's MP Dr T Thirumaavalavan's request to grant consent for initiation of contempt proceedings against the directors of NSO, Home secretary and former Home secretary for alleged surveillance of a Supreme Court judge and its three judicial officers.

The AG said that the matter is sub-judice before the top court and hence it would not be right for him to grant consent for contempt.

"I have carefully perused contents of your letter dated 13.8.2021 and the document annexed thereto. You have raised certain allegations in your letter seeking my consent under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. The question of whether the Government of India has used the Pegasus software and if so against whom is a matter which is being debated and is currently sub-judice is before the Supreme Court of India.

In the absence of such determination having been made it would be inappropriate for me to grant consent for the initiation of proceedings for criminal contempt under Section 15 of The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971," read the AG's letter.

NSO is an Israeli based company that is accused of providing Pegasus software to the government of India for snooping into phones of various academicians, politicians, journalists, activists, etc. Around 40 such people have been targeted.