Supreme Court Sets

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Also Read: Basis for RIL split in question The Supreme Court on Monday decided to hear the gas row between group firms of Mukesh and Anil Ambani on September 1, the day it will also consider admissability of the government petition seeking to declare &quot;null and void&quot; the deal between Ambanis on fuel supply. Amid stiff opposition from RNRL counsel Mukul Rohtagi, a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan asked the parties concerned to file replies, based on which the fate of the government's petition would be decided. The court also posted for hearing on September 1 on the maintainability of applications filed by some power companies seeking to be made intervener in the RIL-RNRL dispute, which would be heard by a three-judge bench. Mukesh-led RIL and Anil-run RNRL had moved the apex court challenging the decision of Bombay High Court on gas supply. The High Court had asked RIL to supply gas to RNRL at $2.34 per mmBtu on mutually agreed terms. The government, which had fixed gas price at $4.20 per mmBtu, moved a separate petition alleging that the two Ambani brothers were surreptiously appropriating natural resources. Opposing the government petition, Rohtagi said, &quot;The government was an intervener in the high Court and how can it file a SLP. It was... not an aggrieved party.&quot; RIL had petitioned the apex court for a stay on the High Court decision, saying it has no &quot;unfettered rights&quot; on gas, including that on price, and can't give gas without official nod. Government counsel and Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran, however, sought to counter RNRL, saying the government was aggrieved by the High Court's interpretation of the family agreement and also by the impugned ruling. In a packed court, Ram Jethmalani, another counsel of RNRL, pitched in saying the government was blatantly and openly supporting RIL. &quot;The Ministry is in the pocket of the respondent (RIL) ...And the government's conduct in this matter is worst than the respondent,&quot; he said, invoking a repartee from RIL counsel Harish Salve: &quot;I have not looked in my client's pocket&quot;. Both RIL and RNRL were represented by a battery of lawyers in the high-profile case born out of corporate rivalry between two brothers, who happen to be the richest Indians. &quot;So far as our plea is concerned the division bench has found crucial clause including price, quantity and number of years in our favour,&quot; Rohtagi said, adding that the gas should be supplied immediately as per the high court order. The case would now be heard by a three-judge bench, the bench headed by the Chief Justice said. The bench also asked RNRL, the government and various private power producers to respond to RIL's plea seeking to implead the government as a respondent in the matter. It also entertained the pleas of the power companies including GMR, GVK, Gautami and others and asked them to file replies to petitions pending before it, although Rohtagi opposed their applications saying: &quot;Everybody can't come. we are not concerned with them. (PTI)