Investigate the issue of Pegasus espionage through 'Sit': Editors Guild

New Delhi, 3 August 2021 Tuesday

The Editors Guild of India has approached the Supreme Court seeking the formation of a SIT (Special Investigation Team) to probe the alleged espionage of journalists and other citizens by the central government using the Pegasus spyware of the Israeli company NSO.

It is the job of the journalist to see that the right of the people to be informed and to have a clear and transparent government is exercised. Guild members and all journalists have a responsibility to hold them accountable for information, explanations from various government departments as well as for the government's activism and inaction, the petition said.

It added that freedom of the press would be maintained if the government and its agencies interfered in the reporting work of journalists. The Guild said in its petition that Indian citizens have a right to be aware of whether the government is violating the rights of the people under the Constitution as well as the steps taken to protect its fundamental rights.

Obstacles have been raised against all attempts to learn about accountability and enforce constitutional limits through the parliamentary process. The petitioner Editors Guild of India has demanded the formation of a SIT (Special Investigation Team) appointed by the court to look into every aspect of the alleged use of Pegasus spyware by the Central Government against Indian citizens and journalists in particular.