Pegasus case: Govt gets time to file reply, Supreme Court to hear pleas on Sept 13

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana had issued a notice to the Centre on the pleas on August 17, while making it clear that it did not want the government to disclose anything which compromised national security. The Centre had earlier filed a short affidavit on the matter. As soon as the matter came up for hearing before the bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that due to some difficulties he could not meet the officials concerned to take a decision on filing of the second affidavit and sought listing of the cases either on Thursday or Monday. The CJI said the Centre’s affidavit is there. To this, the law officer said that the Centre was to take a decision on filing of a second affidavit in the matter. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for senior journalist N Ram, said that he does not have any objection to the request. List it on Monday, the bench said.

The Centre said the position on the issue has already been clarified in Parliament by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. With a view to dispelling any wrong narrative spread by certain vested interests and examining the issues raised, the government will constitute a committee of experts, it had said.

The top court, while issuing notice on the pleas, had said that it did not want the government to disclose anything related to the national security and had asked the Centre what is the problem if the competent authority files an affidavit before it on the issue.