New Delhi, Sept 24: The Delhi High Court today directed the Centre to place before it the records containing reasons to defer the implementation of CAS in the capital even as the government maintained that the decision was taken to ensure that a consumer-friendly initiative did not become a casualty of competing political interests. "We want to see the files as to what kind of satisfaction was there to defer the implementation of CAS in the capital," a bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice A K Sikri said while hearing a bunch of petitions seeking implementation of Conditional Access System (CAS) in the city.

The petitioners including Zee promoted Siti Cable network, Cable Network Association (CNA) and others have challenged the Centre's August 29 notification deferring indefinitely the implementation of CAS in the capital from September 1 contending that it was unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary and contrary to public interest. Senior Advocate A S Chandioke, appearing for the petitioners alleged that CAS has been deferred in the capital for the political reasons undermining the public interest.

However, Additional Solicitor General K K Sud and Aman Lekhi said CAS has been temporarily deferred in the capital as "the issue had potential to create law and order problems due to the conflicting political interests".

Asserting that the notification was neither illegal, unfair, arbitrary nor against public interest as alleged, the Centre said, "The decision has been taken purely after weighing the pros and cons of the circumstances arising from the conflicting political interests so as to ensure that a consumer-friendly initiative did not become a casualty of competing political interests". Bureau Report