Of 29 phones examined, five infected with ‘some malware’, but does not mean it is Pegasus spyware: Panel report in Supreme Court

A Special three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana also conveyed the Pegasus technical Committee's observation that the Government of India was "not cooperative".

A Special three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana on August 25 said the Pegasus technical committee has reported that out of 29 phones examined, five were found infected with "some malware" but that did not mean it was Pegasus spyware.

"Twenty-nine phones were given to the Committee. There is evidence found of some malware in five out of the 29 phones, but it does not mean the malware of Pegasus," Chief Justice Ramana remarked orally.

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The Bench also conveyed the Committee's observation that the Government of India was "not cooperative".

"I am sorry to say, but there is a line in the report saying the Government of India was not cooperative... Whatever stand you had taken here, you took with them," the CJI remarked.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre, clarified saying "I do not know personally what happened. But if they had asked 'whether you are using a particular malware', we would have said 'we are not using'. If they had asked 'what you are using, we may not have said it'," the law officer said.

The petitioners and individuals who had given their phones to the Committee asked the court to give them a redacted report after taking into consideration issues of national security.