Sun TV moves Madras High court; demands stay on Ph III auctions

As Adgully.com informed you yesterday, Sun TV has indeed moved the court for a stay on Phase III auctions for FM radio stations.

In its petition, it has stated that the petitioner is not an accused in the said case but one of its Director Kalanithi Maran is an accused.

The petition goes on to say that security clearance cannot be denied as there has been no final conviction. The pendency, as per the petition, of the said case cannot be a ground for rejection of the security clearance sincethere has been no final conviction.

And even if conviction were to result, it cannot be a ground for security clearance rejection for operating an FM radio station.

The company also claimed that the licence for operating an FM radio station is granted under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, which does not indicate that security clearance is mandatory.

The group, as per the information available in the public domain, has filedsix petitions, and has requested the court to direct theI&B Ministry to grant it permission for re-submission of its applications. The petitions are expected to come up for hearing in the course of next couple of days.