Refrain from parallel debates on social media: SC to Pegasus petitioners

New Delhi, Aug 10: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of petitions seeking a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Pegasus scandal controversy to August 16.

"Any of the petitioners who are interested in the matter and want to put forth their views, should refrain from using social media platforms, and discuss their queries through a proper debate. Have some respect for the system. There must be some discipline," SC told petitioners.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that he needed some time to take instructions from the government on the issue raised in the petitions.

The bench, also comprising justices Vineet Saran and Surya Kant, posted the matter for hearing on August 16.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar who have filed one of the petitions in the matter, said Ram was trolled on social media after the last hearing on the issue of court proceedings related to Pegasus in California.

The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas, including the one filed by the Editors Guild of India, seeking an independent probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping matter.

The pleas 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.