The Hindu : Front Page : Implement CAS within 4 weeks, court tells Centre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 11, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Implement CAS within 4 weeks, court tells Centre

Staff Reporter

Plea filed by Hathway Cable seeking a direction to the Government to implement CAS

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Union Government to implement within four weeks the "consumer friendly" Conditional Access System (CAS) for viewing satellite television channels.

To enjoy the facility, viewers are required to buy a Set-Top-Box, which costs between Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 7,000. They will have the option of viewing channels of their choice and paying for those only.

Justice Vikramjit Sen passed the judgment on a petition filed by Hathway Cable Datacom Private Limited and others. The petitioners sought a direction to the Government to implement CAS or pay damages to them, as they had invested several crores of rupees to build infrastructure to implement the system.

Fine imposed

Mr. Justice Sen also imposed a fine of Rs. 1 lakh as costs on the Government for "unfairly compelling the petitioners to approach this court, saying "no valid or even debatable defence whatsoever has been raised."

Referring to an interim order by the Madras High Court in the matter in April 2004, Mr. Justice Sen said the order also had the effect of mandating the Government to implement CAS in Delhi, Kolkota and Mumbai. It had been successfully implemented in Chennai, but not in the other three cities.

The judgment also quoted a submission by the Government that the CAS had been viewed by it as a consumer friendly initiative.

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