STAFFERS WHO ACCUSED FORMER CJI GOGOI - WERE SELECTED AS POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR SURVEILLANCE BY PEGASUS

As per the recent report by the Wire, three mobile phone numbers belong to the SC staffers, who accused former CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment in 2019 were selected as potential targets for surveillance by software named Pegasus.

Eight other phone numbers belonging to the staffer's family members have also been marked targets for the surveillance, along with other 50,000 leaked phone numbers globally. As per the reports, at least 40 Indian journalists are also on the list of potential targets. 

Pegasus software is developed by an Israel based cyber arms firm named NSO group. It claims that it is only sold to vetted governments and not private entities. However, Pegasus did not mention which government it sells its product to.

The Indian government has denied the claims and said that it is a malicious attempt to malign the Indian democracy.

In 2019, the SC initiated a suo moto case after some social media allegations against the former CJI. The bench of Justices RF Nariman, Deepak Gupta and Arun Mishra ordered former SC judge Justice AK Patnaik to hold an enquiry into the matter. In December 2018, the junior Court assistant was terminated from her position. The former CJI 
claimed that there is a plot that exists behind the allegations and that independence of the Judiciary is in danger. 

In March of this year, the SC closed the proceeding. Interestingly in 2020, the staffer was reappointed during the tenure of former CJI Ranjan Gogoi.