JOIN USAdvocate Krishnan Venugopal appearing for BOIPL submitted before a Bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia, that it should be allowed to resume operation as OMC had been granted permission in an order pronounced on May 10. The company was not opposing the survey of the mines, he said but hoped that its mine which was closed in a December 17, 2009 order be opened.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for OMC wanted the petition to be dismissed as the company did not participate in the proceedings for the past several months. The company should have come to the court when the order for stalling mining activities in six mines was passed, he added. Venugopal then submitted that the company had participated in the survey of the mines conducted by the Supreme Court-appointed panel. The bench asked BIOPL to file an intervention application, transferring the matter to the special bench hearing all forest and environment-related matters.