The Editors Guild of India has moved the Supreme Court seeking an investigation by a Special Investigation Team into the allegations of snooping by government agencies in India through the Israeli spyware Pegasus. In the petition, the journalists’ body asked the apex court to order a probe by a special investigation team to investigate the procurement and use of spyware, hacking, or electronic surveillance tools such as Pegasus. Seventeen global media outlets had reported that over 300 verified numbers — including those belonging to two ministers, over 40 journalists, three opposition leaders and one sitting judge, besides scores of businesspersons and activists in India — could have been possible targets of Israeli spyware Pegasus.

The petition has sought to enforce the right to know on behalf of all citizens of India about the violation of fundamental rights, abuse of power, and commission of criminal offences through use of electronic surveillance, hacking and spyware against Indian citizens. The Editors Guild has also asked the apex court to ensure that the press in India has the freedom from interference through spying, hacking, and electronic surveillance.

“The citizens of India have a right to know if the Executive government is infringing the limits of their authority under the Constitution and what steps have been taken to safeguard their fundamental rights,” the Editors Guild said. “All attempts to seek accountability and enforce constitutional limits through Parliamentary processes have been stonewalled.”

The journalists’ body has said that it has moved the Supreme Court since the Union government has “deliberately avoided public debate” on the issue and has “provided obfuscated answers.”

This is the sixth petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the Pegasus allegations. Earlier, separate petitions were filed by Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, advocate ML Sharma, journalists N Ram and Saashi Kumar, as well as six journalists who were named in the Pegasus project reports. The Supreme Court has said that it will be hearing all these petitions on August 5.