The Supreme Court on Friday restrained the two-member Inquiry Commission headed by former top court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur, constituted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal government to investigate into allegations relating to the Pegasus spyware snooping case.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli while putting a stay on all the proceedings of the Commission also issued notices to the Commission. The matter was listed after the petitioner NGO “Global Village Foundation Charitable Trust” told the Bench that the Commission set up by the West Bengal was going ahead with the probe even when the apex court has constituted an independent expert committee to examine the Pegasus allegations.
At the outset, the CJI asked senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for the West Bengal government, “Mr Singhvi, what is this? Last time you gave the undertaking (that Commission will not go ahead with its probe). Again you started the inquiry?”
Singhvi replied that he had conveyed the need for restraint to the Commission and state government cannot control the Commission.
To this, the Bench ordered, “We understand the state’s predicament. Issue notice to all parties. We stay proceedings.”
Earlier, the apex court was assured by the West Bengal government that the Commission will not go ahead with the inquiry. It had declined the Trust’s plea to stay the notification issued by the West Bengal government constituting an Inquiry Commission. However, the Bench took an oral undertaking from Singhvi on behalf of West Bengal that the Commission will not function while the matter was under the Court’s consideration.