Bengal govt constitutes two-member inquiry panel to look into Pegasus snooping scandal

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her government has formed a two-member inquiry commission to look into allegations of snooping on politicians, officials and journalists using Israeli spyware Pegasus.

The decision to form a panel, with retired judges as its members, was taken at a special cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister during the day.

"We thought the Centre would form an inquiry commission or a court-monitored probe would be ordered to look into this phone-hacking incident. But the Centre is sitting idle... So we decided to form a ‘commission on inquiry' to look into the matter," CM Mamata said at a press conference here.

"Under the leadership of Senior Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur and ex-Chief Justice, Calcutta High Court, Jyotirmay Bhattacharya, we've initiated the commission. They will monitor illegal hacking, monitoring, surveillance, recording mobile phones etc,'' she added.

Through Pegasus, everyone including judiciary & civic society has been under surveillance. We expected that during Parliament, Centre will investigate under SC supervision, but they didn't. West Bengal is the first state to initiate a commission of enquiry: WB CM Mamata Banerjee pic.twitter.com/F0LXGMBoao — ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2021

The two-member commission will be headed by former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya. Former Supreme Court judge Madan Bhimrao Lokur is its other member.

"Names of people from West Bengal have figured on the Pegasus target list. The Centre is trying to snoop on everyone. The commission will find out details about this illegal hacking," the CM added.

A massive political row erupted in the country and other parts of the globe after media reports claimed that the Pegasus spyware was used to infiltrate phones and conduct surveillance on political leaders, government officials and journalists.