HC reserves order on Sun Group's interim prayer over FM

The Madras High Court today reserved its order on an interim plea by the Sun Group seeking a direction to the Centre to allow it to participate in the Phase-III auction process of FM radio.
Justice M Sathyanarayanan reserved the order after hearing arguments by a battery of senior lawyers Sathish Parasaran P.S. Raman and A R L Sunderesan on behalf of SUN Group and Additional Solicitor General G.Rajagopalan representing the union government.
Making the interim prayer in a batch of six petitions, the Sun Group and its companies have sought a stay on the July 15 order of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refusing permission to the Group company to participate in the phase III FM auctions on the basis of non-security clearance from the Union Home Ministry.

The Judge admitted the main petitions, which challenged the refusal of security clearance by the Union Home Ministry and sought to quash the July 15 order of the I&B Ministry refusing permission to the Group company to participate in the FM auctions, and issued notice to the central government returnable in eight weeks.