No information available with us: MEA on Pegasus spyware controversy

The NYT report said Pegasus and a missile system were the 'centrepieces' of a roughly $2 billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between the India and Israel

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said it does not have any information relating to the Pegasus spyware controversy.

"The alleged matter that has been referred to is under investigation by a committee set up by the Supreme Court. No information is available with the Ministry of External Affairs on this matter," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

He was responding to a volley of questions on a recent New York Times report that claimed India bought the Pegasus spyware as part of a USD 2 billion defence deal with Israel in 2017.

The media report said Pegasus and a missile system were the "centrepieces" of a roughly USD 2 billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between the two countries.

It also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel in July 2017 -- the first by an Indian prime minister.

"As regards the prime minister's visit to Israel in 2017, MoUs were signed, the details of which are publicly available," Bagchi said.

An international investigative consortium had claimed last year that many Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were potentially targeted by Pegasus, the phone-hacking software of Israeli firm NSO Group Technologies.