How many in India are targeted in the Project Pegasus Controversy

The Indian media partner of the ‘Pegasus Project’ was ‘The Wire’ has reported these names from the list so far.

Journalists:-

Apparently, some of the Journalists include –

1. MK VENU and Siddharth Varadarajan- Founding editors of The Wire. However, their phones were analysed and traces of Pegasus were found.
2. Sushant Singh- An Indian Express Journalists who generally writes on national security.
3. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta- Former editor of Economic and Political Weekly magazine. Currently writes for Newsclick. However, Forensic analysis of his phone revealed that his phone was compromised.
4. SNM Abdi- Former Outlook journalist. His phone was also found compromised after a forensic analysis.
5. Vijaita Singh- Currently working for The Hindu as a journalist who generally covers Home Ministry. Her phone also showed an attempt at hacking. However, there is no proof that her phone was surely compromised.
6. Shashir Gupta- He is a freelance citizen journalist. He generally writes exposes for The Wire. His expertise is in controversial business dealings.
7. Devirupa Mitra- She is the diplomatic editor of The Wire.
8. Prashant Jha- He is views editor of the Hindustan Times, he is also a former bureau chief for the same organization.
9. Prem Shankar Jha- A retired journalist who was a former editor at the Hindustan Times.
10. Swati Chaturvedi- A freelance journalist who has written a famous book on BJP IT cell and its activities named I Am A Troll.

Few more Journalists:-

However, the list goes on.

1. Rahul Singh- He is a journalist who writes as a defence correspondent for the Hindustan Times.
2. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi- a political reporter who had formerly worked for Hindustan Times.
3. Ritika Chopra- An Indian Express Journalist who generally covers education and election commission.
4. Muzamil Jaleel- An Indian Express journalist who specializes in covering Kashmir.
5. Sandeep Unnithan: India Today journalist.
6. Manoj Gupta: Investigations and security editor at TV18.
7. J. Gopikrishnan: An investigative reporter known for opening the 2G scam as his most famous works.
8. Saikat Datta: a veteran journalist on the issue of national security.
9. Ifthikar Gilani: Former DNA reporter.
10. Manoranjan Gupta: editor in chief of Frontier TV.
11. Sanjay Shyam: A Bihar-based journalist.
12. Jaspal Singh Heran: editor-in-chief of the Punjabi daily Rozana Pehredar.
13. Roopesh Kumar Singh: A freelance from Jharkhand’s Ramgarh.
14. Deepak Gidwani: Former correspondent of DNA from Lucknow.
15. Sumir Kaul: A journalist for news agency PTI.
16.  Shabir Hussain: A Delhi-based political commentator from Kashmir.

Politicians in the Pegasus list:-

Despite this, some of the politicians are –

1. Rahul Gandhi: The Congress party leader.
2. Alankar Sawai: An aide of Rahul Gandhi.
3. Sachin Rao: Another aide of Rahul Gandhi and a member of the Congress Working Committee.
4. Prashant Kishor: An election strategist, he has worked for BJP, Congress and very recently for TMC in Bengal Elections in 2021. Besides, His phone was forensically analysed and was successfully hacked.
5. Abhishek Banerjee: A Trinamool Congress MP and nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
6. Ashwini Vaishnav: a former IAS officer, made a cabinet minister in the recent change of the cabinet.
7. Prahlad Singh Patel: Another cabinet minister in the Union government.
8. Pravin Togadia: Former head of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
9. Pradeep Awasthi: Personal secretary to Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
10. G. Parameshwara: Deputy chief minister in the JD(S) and Congress coalition in Karnataka, which was toppled after several MLAs left to join BJP.
11. 12: Satish: Personal secretary to H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was chief minister of Karnataka.
12. 13. Venkatesh: Personal secretary to Siddaramaiah, who was the Congress chief minister of Karnataka before Kumaraswamy.
13. Manjunath Muddegowda: Security personnel of former prime minister and JD(S) president H.D. Devegowda

Bureaucrats, government officials, and civilians.

1. Rajeshwar Singh: Senior Enforcement Directorate officer.
2. Ashok Lavasa: A career bureaucrat, he was a potential target when he was an election commissioner.
3. Abha Singh: Rajeshwar Singh’s sister, who is a lawyer in Mumbai. However, her mobile phone was analysed but the results found no hacking attempts.
4. V.K. Jain: A former Indian Administrative Service officer who also had worked with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
5. The woman who accused Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment is a supreme court staffer.

Social Activists, lawyers, and Personalities from the North East.

Apparently, besides all the politicians and Journalists, there are social activists, lawyers as well. They include –

1. Activists related to Elgar Parishad Case- Hany Babu MT, Rona Wilson, Vernon Gonsalves, Anand Teltummbde, Shomona Sen, Gautam Navlakha, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj, Pavan and Minal Gadling.
2. Nihalsing Rathod: A lawyer related Surendra Gadling.
3. Jagadish Meshram: Another lawyer associated with Surendra Gadling.
4. Maruti Kurwatkar: An accused in several cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and was represented by Surendra Gadling.
5. Shalini Gera: A lawyer who represented Sudha Bharadwaj.
6. Ankit Grewal: A close legal associate of Sudha Bharadwaj.
7. Jaison Cooper: Kerala-based rights activist.
8. Rupali Jadhav: A member of cultural group Kabir Kala Manch.
9. Lalsu Nagoti: A lawyer who is a close associate of Mahesh Raut, of the Elgar Parishad case.
10. Soni Sori: Tribal rights activist from Bastar.
11. Lingaram Kodopi: A journalist and the nephew of Soni Sori.
12. Degree Prasad Chouhan: An anti-caste activist and Chhattisgarh state president of People’s Union for Civil Liberties.
13. Rakesh Ranjan: An assistant professor at the Sri Ram College of Commerce.
14. Ashok Bharti: Chairman of the All India Ambedkar Mahasabha and a Dalit rights activist.
15. Umar Khalid: Former student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Besides, also arrested on sedition charges during JNU sloganeering case. Aboveall, accused in the Delhi Chandbagh riots case of 2020.
16. Anirban Bhattacharya: Another former JNU student. who was arrested along with Khalid.
17. Banjyotsna Lahiri: JNU student.
18. Bela Bhatia: A lawyer and human rights activist.
19. Shiv Gopal Mishra: railway union leader.
20. Anjani Kumar: Delhi-based labour rights activist.

More personalities from the North East

Besides, some people from NE includes-

1. Alok Shukla: An anti-coal mining activist and initiator of the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan.
2. Saroj Giri: A Delhi University professor.
3. Shubhranshu Choudhary: A Bastar-based peace activist.
4. Sandeep Kumar Rai: Former BBC journalist and trade union activist.
5. Khalid Khan: A colleague of Sandeep Kumar Rai.
6. Ipsa Shatakshi: A Jharkhand-based activist.
7. S.A.R. Geelani: Delhi University professor who was convicted and later acquitted in the parliament bombing case. Moreover, his phone was analysed and it showed signs of an infection by Pegasus.
8. G. Haragopal: A retired professor who taught at the University of Hyderabad. More than one of his phones were checked and none of them came positive for a hacking attempt.
9. Vasantha Kumari: The wife of former Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba, who was convicted for links with a banned Maoist organisation.
10. Rakesh Ranjan: An assistant professor at Delhi University. Besides, he was a supporter of the Saibaba Defence Committee.
11. Jagdeep Chhokar: Co-founder of the watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms.

1. Samujjal Bhattacharjee: An advisor to the All Assam Students Union and member of the high-level committee to look into the implementation of Clause Six of the Assam Accord.
2. Anup Chetia: A leader of the United Liberation Front of Assam.
3. Malem Ningthouja: A Delhi-based writer who is from Manipur.

Naga leaders

1. Atem Vashum: A leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-Isak Muivah).
2. Apam Muivah: Another NSCN (I-M) leader who is Muivah’s nephew.
3. Anthony Shimray: The commander in chief of the Naga Army of NSCN (I-M).
4. Phunthing Shimrang: The former commander in chief of the NSCN (I-M)’s Naga Army.
5. Kitovi Zhimomi: Initiator of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs). The Narendra Modi government was in parleys with the groups to find ‘one solution to the Naga issue.

Scientists

1. Gagandeep Kang: One of India’s foremost virologists in the fight against the Nipah virus.
2. Hari Menon: The Indian head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

CBI officers and individuals linked to them

1. Alok Verma: Former chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation. Other than him there were 8 of his family members on the list too.
2. Rakesh Asthana: former senior CBI officer.
3. A.K. Sharma: Another senior CBI official like Asthana and Verma.

Also, Read- Union Minister Jitendra Singh: PM Modi is an outstanding example of a person with a scientific temper

Rahul Gandhi hosted breakfast meet; cycle protest with opposition leaders.

Businesspersons allgedly traced using Pegasus

Apparently, there are a few top business tycoons that got traced. However, the people include –

1. Anil Ambani: Reliance ADAG chairman. However, the phone numbers that have been used by him were added when controversy over the Rafale deal had intensified.
2. Tony Jesudasan: Corporate communications chief at ADAG.
3. Venkata Rao Posina: Dassault Aviation’s representative in India.
4. Inderjit Sial: Former Saab India head.
5. Pratyush Kumar: Boeing India boss.
6. Harmanjit Nagi: Head of the French energy firm EDF.

Tibetan officials, activists, clerics in India

Besides, the list of Tibetan officials, as well as activists, includes-

1. Tempa Tsering: Dalai Lama’s long-term envoy in New Delhi.
2. Tenzin Taklha: Senior aide of the Dalai Lama’s.
3. Chimmey Rigzen: Senior aide of the Dalai Lama’s.
4. Lobsang Sangay: Former head of the Tibetan government in exile.

Kashmiri figures

Despite this, bundles of Kashimi figures list includes-

1. Bilal Lone: A separatist leader and brother of Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone. One of his phones was analysed and there were signs of Pegasus found.
2. Tariq Bukhari: Brother of Apni Party leader Altaf Bukhari. He is a businessman and a political leader. Furthermore, he was questioned by the NIA in April 2019 in a ‘terror funding’ case.
3. Syed Naseem Geelani: A scientist and the son of a separatist leader named Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
4. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq: A separatist leader and head of the Hurriyat Conference, and also a chief cleric of the Jama Masjid.
5. Waqar Bhatti: human rights activist Kashmir.
6. Zaffar Akbar Bhat: a prominent separatist leader.

National security figures in the Project Pegasus List

Pegasus took its target to the National Security figures as well. Hence, the list includes-

1. K.K. Sharma: He was the head of the Border Security Force.
2. Jagdish Maithani: BSF inspector general who was integral to the Union home ministry’s comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS) or smart fencing project.
3. Jitendra Kumar Ojha: An senior official from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
4. Colonel Mukul Dev: An army officer who took on the government order that scrapped free rations for officers who are posted in peace areas.
5. Colonel Amit Kumar: Another army officer who filed a petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of 356 Army personnel against what they apprehended was an impending dilution of the Armed Forces (Special Forces) Act (AFSPA).

Businesspersons, PSU bureaucrats, and lobbyists

Furthermore, PSU bureaucrats and lobbyists include-

1. Naresh Goyal: Former boss of Jet Airways.
2. Ajay Singh: SpiceJet chairman and managing director.
3. Prashant Ruia: Director of Essar Group.
4. Vikram Kothari: Associated with Rotomac Pens, and was investigated for loan fraud.
5. Rahul Kothari: Vikram Kothari’s son.
6. C. Sivasankaran: Former Aircel promoter and maverick entrepreneur.
7. B.C. Tripathi: The former head of the state-run GAIL India. He joined Essar in January 2020.
8. V. Balasubramanian: A long-time lobbyist associated with Reliance Industries.
9. A.N. Sethuraman: A lobbyist associated with the Reliance ADA Group.

Tamil politicians and activists

Moreover, Tamil politicians list included-

1. Seeman: A leader of the Naam Thamizhar Katchi, he is vocal in his support of the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils.

2: Thirumurugan Gandhi: Founder of the May 17 movement, which fights for the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. He also supported the anti-Sterlite protests and other civil rights movements.

3. K. Ramakrishnan: An activist with decades of experience. Besides, he is with the Dravidar Kazhagam, who later split from the movement to launch the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam.

4. Kumaresan: The treasurer of the Dravidar Kazhagam, which was founded by Periyar.

All in all, all these were the people who are allegedly the targets of Project Pegasus in India.

Also Read:- Pegasus Project: 161 Names Revealed By The Wire On Snoop List So Far– The Wire