A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana also allowed a petitioner, who challenged the continued operation of the Commission despite the SC had constituted a panel for the probe, to make the Commission a party in the proceedings.
The Supreme Court Friday stayed all further proceedings of the panel constituted by the West Bengal government under former apex court judge Justice M B Lokur to probe Pegasus snooping allegations.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana also allowed a petitioner, who challenged the continued operation of the Commission despite the SC had constituted a panel for the probe, to be the Commission, a party in the proceedings. The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, issued notice to the Commission.
The CJI asked Senior Advocate A M Singhvi, who appeared for the state. How had the panel started an enquiry despite an earlier assurance given to the court? “What is this? Last time you gave an undertaking….but again you started an inquiry?”
Singhvi said he was not representing the Commission but the state government and had conveyed the court’s directions to the Commission.
He added that the restraint on the Commission was till the SC passed its order, after which the probe panel began its work.
Singhvi: “I cannot as a state government ask them not to,” he added.
