The Evening Wrap: Supreme Court grants more time for Pegasus probe report

The Supreme Court on Friday said its technical committee had so far received and tested 29 mobile devices suspected to be infected by Pegasus malware and gave it four weeks to submit a report to Justice R.V. Raveendran, a retired apex court judge overseeing the panel’s inquiry into reports that the government used the Israel-based military-grade spyware to snoop on journalists, parliamentarians, prominent citizens and even court staff. Opening the interim report submitted by the committee in court, a Special Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said the committee had developed its own protocol/software to test the devices for malware. The committee also recorded the statements of petitioners, who had approached the court, journalists and other allegedly affected persons. It has also contacted experts and agencies, including government ones, who could “potentially throw light on the subject of inquiry”. The committee has further undertaken a “public consultation exercise” to invite views and comments on the subject of inquiry, the CJI read out the interim report to lawyers, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for the petitioners, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. The interim report said the committee had got a “large number of responses”. It was awaiting responses from the agencies. It said the process of analysing the responses was in progress. The committee said its investigation would be completed by the end of May 2022. The interim report said the overseeing judge, Justice Raveendran, assisted by two experts, would then require another 15 days to study the recommendations of the technical committee and add views and comments. The interim report sought an extension of time till June 20, 2022 to complete the entire exercise and file a comprehensive report before the Supreme Court. “The process is on. We will give them time,” the CJI told the lawyers, who agreed. When the parties, including the Union, urged the court to make the interim report public, Chief Justice Ramana proceeded to summarise its contents. The CJI said the interim report had divided its court-appointed task into two areas. “One is regarding the inquiry itself. That is, the fact-finding report regarding the technical issues relating to the digital forensic aspects about the reported use of Pegasus malware to target mobiles of Indian citizens. Second is regarding recommendations about the enhancement of existing laws and procedures related to surveillance and securing rights including privacy, cyber security, etc,” Chief Justice Ramana explained. He said the first part of the task was being done by the committee under the supervision of the overseeing judge. The second part was being taken care of by the judge and two other experts assisting him. Once the technical committee submitted its report to the overseeing judge, he would add his own report on the laws to it. “So, a comprehensive final report will come to us,” the CJI observed orally. Passing the order, the Bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, directed the technical committee to “expedite the examination of the mobile devices which they have received, preferably within a period of four weeks, and submit a report to the overseeing judge. Thereafter, we request the overseeing judge to send the report as early as possible”. The court posted the case for hearing in July. Chief Justice Ramana is retiring by the end of August. In October 27 last year, the court had constituted the technical committee while observing in its 46-page order that there was a “broad consensus that unauthorised surveillance/accessing of stored data from the phones and other devices of citizens for reasons other than nation’s security would be illegal, objectionable and a matter of concern”. Justice Raveendran is assisted by Alok Joshi, former IPS officer (1976 batch) and Dr. Sundeep Oberoi, Chairman, Sub-Committee in (International Organisation of Standardisation/International Electro-Technical Commission/Joint Technical Committee). The three members of the technical committee are Dr. Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics) and Dean, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Dr. Prabaharan P., Professor (School of Engineering), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala; and Dr. Ashwin Anil Gumaste, Institute Chair Associate Professor (Computer Science and Engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Maharashtra. Supreme Court transfers Gyanvapi civil suit to Varanasi district judge The Supreme Court on Friday transferred the civil suit filed by Hindu devotees on Gyanvapi mosque from civil judge (senior division) to district judge, Varanasi saying looking at the complexities and sensitivity of the issue, it is better for a senior judicial officer to handle the case. The apex court also directed Varanasi District Judge to decide mosque caretaker’s plea under Order 7 Rule 11 CPC (asking the Hindu women who have filed the suit to show a cause of action or legal injury) to be decided on priority. Meanwhile the Supreme Court’s May 17 order securing the area of the reported ‘Shivling’ and giving Muslims access to offer namaaz in the mosque will remain operational. The apex court directed the District Magistrate to make appropriate arrangements, if not already made, for offering wazu khana. The court would take up the case in July upon reopening after summer vacation. Indrani Mukerjea walks out of jail 6 years after arrest in Sheena Bora murder case Over six years after she was arrested for allegedly murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, former media executive Indrani Mukerjea on Friday evening walked out of Mumbai’s Byculla women’s prison. “I am happy,” a beaming Mukherjea told waiting reporters. Sporting jet black hair, Mukerjea stepped out of the jail around 5.30 pm, hugged her lawyer Sana Raees Shaikh, smiled and waved to waiting media. She then stepped into the lawyer’s high-end car and drove to her Worli flat. She did not entertain queries from media there. Her changed appearance prompted a flurry of comments on social media. “So they have beauty parlours in jail,” read a tweet. Supreme Court granted Mukherjea bail in the case on Wednesday. Sheena Bora (24) was killed sometime in April 2012 if the investigators are to be believed, but the crime came to light three years later with the arrest of Shyamvar Rai, Mukerjea’s former driver, for illegal possession of the weapon on August 21, 2015. During the interrogation, Rai told the police that he knew of a murder that had taken place in April 2012. Mukerjea, former media executive and the wife of media baron Peter Mukerjea, had strangulated her daughter Sheena in a car with the help of her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, Rai claimed. Four days later, the police arrested Mukerjea. They also arrested Khanna, her former husband. Mukerjea maintained that she was being falsely implicated in the case. Mumbai Police claimed that Bora, her daughter from an earlier relationship, was killed by Mukerjea and Khanna in a car which Rai was driving, and the body was buried in a forest in neighbouring Raigad district the next day. The body had been found in a decomposed state a month after the murder but remained unidentified for three years till Rai’s alleged disclosure, the police said. The case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation in September 2015. In November 2015, the CBI arrested Peter Mukerjea for allegedly being part of the conspiracy. France, Germany report first monkeypox cases France and Germany on May 20 reported their first cases of monkeypox, joining a number of other European and North American nations in detecting the disease endemic in parts of Africa. Monkeypox was identified in a 29-year-old man in the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, who had not recently returned from a country where the virus is circulating, France’s health authorities said on Friday. Separately, the German armed forces’ microbiology institute said it has confirmed the virus in a patient who developed skin lesions — a symptom of the disease. With the growing number of detected cases in several European countries, Germany’s health agency Robert Koch Institute has urged people returning from West Africa and in particular gay men, to see their doctors quickly if they notice any changes on their skin. The rare disease — which is not usually fatal — often manifests itself through fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face. The virus can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions and droplets of a contaminated person, as well as through shared items such as bedding and towels. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it was looking closely at the issue and in particular that some of the cases in the U.K. appeared to have been transmitted within the gay community. Cases of monkeypox have also been detected in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden as well as in the United States and Canada, leading to fears that the disease -- normally concentrated in Central and West Africa -- may be spreading. Monkeypox usually clears up after two to four weeks, according to the WHO. In Brief The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) on Friday granted air operator’s permit to Jet Airways. This will allow the airline to restart commercial flight operations after remaining grounded for more than three years. The approval comes after the airline conducted proving flights for the safety regulator between May 15 and May 17. With the grant of the permit, Jet Airways has fulfilled all the pre-conditions laid down by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) as part of the insolvency process for the transfer of the ownership of the airline to the successful resolution applicant -- the consortium of UAE-based NRI Murari Lal Jalan and U.K.-based Kalrock Capital Management in London. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 20 MAY 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Pegasus case | Supreme Court grants more time to submit probe report, 29 mobile phones being examined for spyware The [Supreme Court on Friday said its technical committee had so far received and tested 29 mobile devices]( suspected to be infected by [Pegasus malware]( and gave it four weeks to submit a report to Justice R.V. Raveendran, a retired apex court judge overseeing the panel’s inquiry into reports that the government used the Israel-based military-grade spyware to snoop on journalists, parliamentarians, prominent citizens and even court staff. Opening the interim report submitted by the committee in court, a Special Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said the committee had developed its own protocol/software to test the devices for malware. The committee also recorded the statements of petitioners, who had approached the court, journalists and other allegedly affected persons. It has also contacted experts and agencies, including government ones, who could “potentially throw light on the subject of inquiry”. The committee has further undertaken a “public consultation exercise” to invite views and comments on the subject of inquiry, the CJI read out the interim report to lawyers, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for the petitioners, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. The interim report said the committee had got a “large number of responses”. It was awaiting responses from the agencies. It said the process of analysing the responses was in progress. The committee said its investigation would be completed by the end of May 2022. The interim report said the overseeing judge, Justice Raveendran, assisted by two experts, would then require another 15 days to study the recommendations of the technical committee and add views and comments. The interim report sought an extension of time till June 20, 2022 to complete the entire exercise and file a comprehensive report before the Supreme Court. “The process is on. We will give them time,” the CJI told the lawyers, who agreed. When the parties, including the Union, urged the court to make the interim report public, Chief Justice Ramana proceeded to summarise its contents. The CJI said the interim report had divided its court-appointed task into two areas. “One is regarding the inquiry itself. That is, the fact-finding report regarding the technical issues relating to the digital forensic aspects about the reported use of Pegasus malware to target mobiles of Indian citizens. Second is regarding recommendations about the enhancement of existing laws and procedures related to surveillance and securing rights including privacy, cyber security, etc,” Chief Justice Ramana explained. He said the first part of the task was being done by the committee under the supervision of the overseeing judge. The second part was being taken care of by the judge and two other experts assisting him. Once the technical committee submitted its report to the overseeing judge, he would add his own report on the laws to it. “So, a comprehensive final report will come to us,” the CJI observed orally. Passing the order, the Bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, directed the technical committee to “expedite the examination of the mobile devices which they have received, preferably within a period of four weeks, and submit a report to the overseeing judge. Thereafter, we request the overseeing judge to send the report as early as possible”. The court posted the case for hearing in July. Chief Justice Ramana is retiring by the end of August. In October 27 last year, the court had constituted the technical committee while observing in its 46-page order that there was a “broad consensus that unauthorised surveillance/accessing of stored data from the phones and other devices of citizens for reasons other than nation’s security would be illegal, objectionable and a matter of concern”. Justice Raveendran is assisted by Alok Joshi, former IPS officer (1976 batch) and Dr. Sundeep Oberoi, Chairman, Sub-Committee in (International Organisation of Standardisation/International Electro-Technical Commission/Joint Technical Committee). The three members of the technical committee are Dr. Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Professor (Cyber Security and Digital Forensics) and Dean, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Dr. Prabaharan P., Professor (School of Engineering), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala; and Dr. Ashwin Anil Gumaste, Institute Chair Associate Professor (Computer Science and Engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Maharashtra. Supreme Court transfers Gyanvapi civil suit to Varanasi district judge The Supreme Court on Friday [transferred the civil suit filed by Hindu devotees on Gyanvapi mosque from civil judge (senior division) to district judge, Varanasi]( saying looking at the complexities and sensitivity of the issue, it is better for a senior judicial officer to handle the case. [Security personnel stand guard as Muslims arrive at the Gyanvapi mosque to offer Friday prayers in Varanasi on May 20, 2022. ] The apex court also directed Varanasi District Judge to decide mosque caretaker’s plea under Order 7 Rule 11 CPC (asking the Hindu women who have filed the suit to show a cause of action or legal injury) to be decided on priority. Meanwhile the Supreme Court’s May 17 order securing the area of the reported ‘Shivling’ and giving Muslims access to offer namaaz in the mosque will remain operational. The apex court directed the District Magistrate to make appropriate arrangements, if not already made, for offering wazu khana. The court would take up the case in July upon reopening after summer vacation. Indrani Mukerjea walks out of jail 6 years after arrest in Sheena Bora murder case Over six years after she was arrested for allegedly murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, former media executive [Indrani Mukerjea on Friday evening walked out of Mumbai’s Byculla women’s prison](. “I am happy,” a beaming Mukherjea told waiting reporters. Sporting jet black hair, Mukerjea stepped out of the jail around 5.30 pm, hugged her lawyer Sana Raees Shaikh, smiled and waved to waiting media. She then stepped into the lawyer’s high-end car and drove to her Worli flat. She did not entertain queries from media there. Her changed appearance prompted a flurry of comments on social media. “So they have beauty parlours in jail,” read a tweet. [Former media executive Indrani Mukherjea comes out of Mumbai’s Byculla Women’s Jail on May 20, 2022. ] Supreme Court granted Mukherjea bail in the case on Wednesday. Sheena Bora (24) was killed sometime in April 2012 if the investigators are to be believed, but the crime came to light three years later with the arrest of Shyamvar Rai, Mukerjea’s former driver, for illegal possession of the weapon on August 21, 2015. During the interrogation, Rai told the police that he knew of a murder that had taken place in April 2012. Mukerjea, former media executive and the wife of media baron Peter Mukerjea, had strangulated her daughter Sheena in a car with the help of her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, Rai claimed. Four days later, the police arrested Mukerjea. They also arrested Khanna, her former husband. Mukerjea maintained that she was being falsely implicated in the case. Mumbai Police claimed that Bora, her daughter from an earlier relationship, was killed by Mukerjea and Khanna in a car which Rai was driving, and the body was buried in a forest in neighbouring Raigad district the next day. The body had been found in a decomposed state a month after the murder but remained unidentified for three years till Rai’s alleged disclosure, the police said. The case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation in September 2015. In November 2015, the CBI arrested Peter Mukerjea for allegedly being part of the conspiracy. France, Germany report first monkeypox cases France and Germany on May 20 [reported their first cases of monkeypox]( joining a number of other European and North American nations in detecting the disease endemic in parts of Africa. Monkeypox was identified in a 29-year-old man in the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, who had not recently returned from a country where the virus is circulating, France’s health authorities said on Friday. Separately, the German armed forces’ microbiology institute said it has confirmed the virus in a patient who developed skin lesions — a symptom of the disease. With the growing number of detected cases in several European countries, Germany’s health agency Robert Koch Institute has urged people returning from West Africa and in particular gay men, to see their doctors quickly if they notice any changes on their skin. The rare disease — which is not usually fatal — often manifests itself through fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face. The virus can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions and droplets of a contaminated person, as well as through shared items such as bedding and towels. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it was looking closely at the issue and in particular that some of the cases in the U.K. appeared to have been transmitted within the gay community. Cases of monkeypox have also been detected in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden as well as in the United States and Canada, leading to fears that the disease -- normally concentrated in Central and West Africa -- may be spreading. Monkeypox usually clears up after two to four weeks, according to the WHO. In Brief The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) on Friday [granted air operator’s permit to Jet Airways](. This will allow the airline to restart commercial flight operations after remaining grounded for more than three years. The approval comes after the airline conducted proving flights for the safety regulator between May 15 and May 17. With the grant of the permit, Jet Airways has fulfilled all the pre-conditions laid down by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) as part of the insolvency process for the transfer of the ownership of the airline to the successful resolution applicant --  the consortium of UAE-based NRI Murari Lal Jalan and U.K.-based Kalrock Capital Management in London. 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