Pegasus row: SC issues notice to Centre, says govt need not disclose anything which compromises national security

The Supreme Court Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on a batch of pleas seeking independent probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping matter, making it clear that it did not want the government to disclose anything which might compromise national security.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana sought the Centre's response on the pleas and said it will take up the matter after 10 days and see what course should be adopted.

The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose, told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the apex court does not want the government to disclose anything which may compromise national security.

The top court said this after Mehta argued that divulging the information on affidavit, as sought by the petitioners, would involve aspects of national security.

The court is hearing a batch of pleas, including the one filed by Editors Guild of India, seeking independent probe into the matter.

They are related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO''s spyware Pegasus.

An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Pegasus spyware.