New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Wednesday allowed Red FM, the radio channel owned by Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd, to take part in mock auctions for the third phase of FM auctions to be held on Wednesday and Thursday.

This came as an interim relief for the company as the Union government informed the bench comprising justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva about the inability to postpone the main FM auctions.

“The entire process is lined and its postponement will have a cascading effect," said Sanjeev Narula, counsel for the government.

On a plea by Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd, Mumbai and Delhi, the court allowed them to participate in the mock auctions. It will continue to hear the matter on Friday.

The information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry had earlier rejected applications by Red FM, a part of the Sun TV group, to participate in the phase III of FM radio auctions on grounds that it did not have a security clearance from the home ministry.

The Delhi high court had on Tuesday asked the Centre to consider deferring the auctions as it heard a plea by Digital Radio Broadcasting against the government’s decision.

Red FM is among the prime bidders in the phase III of FM auctions covering 135 radio channels in 69 cities.

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