Sterlite's copper smelter to stay shut until at least May 8

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's largest copper smelter will remain shut until at least May 8, when a New Delhi environmental court will hear a case over the closure of the plant after complaints of emissions, two court officials told Reuters.

Justice M. Chockalingam of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai requested the transfer of the case to the capital as "circumstances did not permit" hearing the case in the southern bench of the fast-track court as had been scheduled.

The smelter, run by Sterlite Industries , was closed on March 30, sending waves through the copper market by pushing about 3,000 tonnes per day of copper concentrate onto the market and sending fees to process it to a five-month high in Asia.

(Reporting by Krishna N Das in New Delhi and Anupama Chandrasekaran in Chennai; Editing by Jo Winterbottom)