The Supreme Court on Monday fixed September 1 to hear the cross-appeals filed by the Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, in the ongoing Reliance gas row. The Union Government had prayed that the agreement between the brothers be declared “null and void”.
A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan said a three-judge bench would take up the matter on September 1.
RIL and RNRL had moved the apex court challenging an order of the Bombay High Court, which had asked RIL to supply gas to RNRL at $2.34 per unit on mutually agreed terms.
The government, which had fixed gas price at $4.21 per unit, moved a separate petition alleging that the Ambanis were appropriating natural resources.
RNRL’s counsel Mukul Rohtagi questioned the Centre’s right to file a petition in the dispute, arguing “It was... not an aggrieved party.”
Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani too alleged that “The (Petroleum) Ministry is in the pocket of the respondent (RIL). And the government’s conduct in this matter is worse than the respondent.”