MUMBAI: The Madras High Court has adjourned the hearing of Chennai cable operators petition for extension of digitisation deadline to Wednesday due to recusal of Justice P.P.S. Janarthanaraja from the case.

Justice Janarthanaraja recused himself from the case citing possible conflict of interest since his son works for Sun TV, whose lawyer is representing one of the respondents in the case.

Janarthanaraja along with Justice Paul Vasanthakumar formed the two-member bench that would have decided the fate of the petition filed by cable operators.
The case was expected to come up for hearing today after it got adjourned on Monday.

The court had on 9 November extended the stay on digitisation in Chennai till 19 November seeking details of the number of digital set top boxes available and seeded.

The petition by Chennai Metro Cable Operators Association (CMCOA) through its general secretary M R Srinivasan is seeking extension of digitisation deadline by three months.

Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar, who was hearing the petition filed by CMCOA, said the matter should be heard by a division bench since it involved a larger public interest.

The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry had told the Madras High Court that it was prepared to give an extension for implementation of digitisation in Chennai till 31 December provided the stakeholders gave affidavits that they will implement it by then and not seek further extension.