West Bengal sets up commission to inquire Pegasus scandal

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state government has set up a commission to probe the Pegasus snooping row. The panel is headed by retired judges Justice MV Lokur and Justice Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya.

The TMC leader said that the cabinet has approved the appointment of a commission of inquiry consisting of hon'ble justice M V Lokur, retired justice of Supreme Court and hon'ble justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya, retired Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court in the exercise of the power of section 3 of Commission of Inquiry Act 1952, reported The Indian Express.

She added that the state had initially hoped that the central government will take the necessary steps to investigate the matter and form a neutral team. But when that did not happen, the state government decided to form its own commission.

"We want the Justices to start as soon as possible. Many people from Bengal have been tapped," said the CM.

The panel will deal with illegal hacking, monitoring, surveillance, tapping, recording, etc. of mobile phones in West Bengal. Ms Banerjee called a special cabinet meeting to set up the commission of inquiry before leaving for her three-day trip to Delhi.

Trinamool Congress MP and Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's number was one of the 300 numbers from India that appeared on the list of potential surveillance targets of the Israeli spyware.