HC allows Centre as party in RIL-RNRL case

The Bombay High Court today allowed the central government to implead itself in the RIL-RNRL case on gas supply after the Anil Ambani group company Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) said it had no problem to the government being a party in the matter.

Further hearing of the case is now likely to continue after the Diwali vacation.

Earlier, RNRL was opposed to allowing government to intervene, but its counsels today said they have withdrawn their opposition. Reliance Industries had already said they were not opposed to the government being a party to the case.

Mukesh Ambani-led RIL and Anil Ambani's RNRL are locked in a dispute over terms of gas supply master agreement, whereby RIL is to supply gas for RNRL's power projects.

Earlier, the division bench of justices J N Patel and K K Tated had said that it would like to finish the hearing before Diwali, so that judges could write the judgment during the vacation.

But now with the government's entry into the litigation, hearing may not get over before the Diwali vacation.

While RIL and RNRL are squabbling over the price of gas, government counsel had earlier endorsed RIL's stand that price must have government's approval.

Court will pass the formal order impleading the government as the third party to the case tomorrow.