Pegasus target: Numbers of BSF, RAW, Army officers also in the list

Ground Report | New Delhi: Pegasus target; There has been a new revelation in the Pegasus Snoopgate. It is learned that the scope of surveillance was extended to security and intelligence agencies. According to a new report in The Wire, two officers of the Border Security Force (BSF), a former senior RAW officer and at least two officers of the Indian Army were selected as the targets of the possible surveillance (Pegasus Project).

The Pegasus spyware from the Israeli company NSO Group made about 50,000 numbers in 10 countries the target of potential surveillance or espionage. There are 300 Indian phone numbers in the leaked database.

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Pegasus target

The Wire report says that in 2018, BSF chief KK Sharma, BSF Inspector General Jagdish Maithani, retired senior RAW officer Jitendra Kumar Ojha, and his wife's numbers were selected for possible surveillance.

Two Indian Army officers are also named in the target list. These two officers of Colonel rank had gone to court against the government on some issues. However, it is not known whether any of these numbers were spied on. Because of this, forensic analysis of the phone is necessary.

A consortium of international journalists is publishing reports of espionage and possible surveillance from Pegasus. The leaked database has been investigated by French organizations Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International. It has been learned that the numbers of journalists, activists, and politicians from around the world were put in the target list of Pegasus.

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Many reports have been published since July 18, in which the names of two union ministers including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, election strategist Prashant Kishor, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa have been revealed.

Several journalists have also been allegedly spied on. Along with this, the phone numbers of the woman who accused former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment were also selected for possible surveillance. However, the Indian government has denied any role in espionage. The Center has described the Pegasus project as an attempt to malign India's image.

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