According to The Wire, the phone numbers of Asthana, Sharma, Verma, and his family members figured in the leaked database for a short period, having been removed by the second week of February 2019, by which time Verma had retired from government service.
However, Verma was unwilling to participate in the report, and therefore The Wire was unable to conduct a forensic analysis on his phones, which as per the news portal, is the only way of conclusively establishing whether they were targeted or infected with Pegasus.
When Did Anil Ambani Figure on the List?
Meanwhile, Anil Ambani’s phone numbers were added to the list in 2018, The Wire reported. This was the same year the Modi government’s Rafale deal kicked off a controversy, with the Opposition and the media raising the issue.
The Wire, however, could not confirm if Ambani is currently using the number listed.
Reliance ADA Group’s corporate communications chief Tony Jesudasan, as well as Jesudasan’s wife, were also added to the…