The Delhi high court on Friday gave liberty to the consumer bodies, which have challenged the introduction of conditional access system, to file fresh petition before a vacation bench as their public interest litigation was not heard due to paucity of time.

Observing that the issue concerns the implementation of CAS, a bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice A K Sikri said that if the petitioners think that the matter was of urgent public interest they could move a petition before a vacation bench for early hearing.

Today was the last working day of the court before the winter vacation and the PIL challenging the introduction of CAS in the present manner, as envisaged under the amended Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, did not reach for hearing.

The PIL filed by Consumer Coordination Council, a national coalition of 50 consumer organisations, and Consumers' Online Foundation Forum, a body campaigning for the right to freedom of information, has contended that the impugned Act and CAS scheme fail to address consumer issues.

The petitioner has said that the notification on CAS implementation concerns more with the "coercive implementation" of set top boxes upon consumers.