The development comes after the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar was unable to arrive at a consensus in the matter earlier in March. The first bench had then stated, “Since we have not been able to agree, the writ petitions may be placed before a third judge. As the Chief Justice has delivered the dissenting judgment, the matter may be placed before the next available judge in order of seniority for nomination of the judge before whom the matter may be placed.”

The regulations under challenge laid down certain restrictions on the way TV channels are packaged and priced. Star India and Vijay TV, as well as the Indian Broadcasting Foundation had challenged the same as being beyond TRAI’s jurisdiction. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had directed the High Court to dispose of the case within a month. Disposing transfer petitions moved in this regard, a bench of justices AK Goel and RF Nariman said, “We request the third judge to decide the matter as far as possible within one month from the date of receipt of copy of this order.”