NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Arbitration Tribunal (TDSAT) has directed broadcaster Star India to cancel its disconnection notice to Siti Cable Network after the multi-system operator (MSO) handed over a cheque of Rs 10 crore for settlement of the payment dispute pending mutual negotiations. 

TDSAT chairman Aftab Alam said, “We hope and trust that the two sides will be able to resolve their disputes through negotiations; in case any issues survive, those will be adjudicated by the Tribunal.” 

The matter, if not resolved, will be listed for 5 February. Star India has been given two weeks to reply to the petition. 

Star India had claimed that Siti Cable was in arrears of Rs 26 crore, which was disputed by the MSO. However, the MSO did admit there were some arrears. 

Counsel Meet Malhotra for Siti Cable said his client would submit within two days the information required by Star India on its indicating “on an email to the petitioner, the materials, including the SMS reports that it wishes from the petitioner.”

Star India counsel Salman Khurshid had also alleged that Siti Cable was indulging in piracy in as much as it is taking its signals outside the area covered by the interconnect agreement. Malhotra did not deny the fact that his client was retransmitting the signals to certain suburbs of Mumbai, which fall outside the area of the agreement but submitted that the petitioner had duly informed the respondent on the very day it started retransmitting the signals outside Mumbai and in any event, all the subscribers viewing the respondent’s channels whether within the area of the agreement or outside the area of agreement, will be recorded in its SMS and will be duly reflected in the SMS reports.