New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on May 29 extended for a month the date of appearance of the Ambani brothers before a city court in connection with an Official Secrets Act (OSA) case.

Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Managing Director Anil Ambani, who were issued fresh summonses by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) on May 26 asking them to appear before the trial court on July 7, would now make their presence on August 7.

Justice R C Chopra granted a month's reprieve to the Ambanis after their counsel Kapil Sibal and D C Mathur submitted that the case was already fixed for August 8 and no purpose would be served by forcing them to appear a month before the scheduled date. They said the Ambanis were ready to appear before the CMM on July 7.

The brothers are yet to challenge the order on summoning that requires them to appear before the CMM in connection with the OSA case.

While issuing fresh summonses to Anil and Mukesh on May 26, the CMM had warned to take coercive steps to secure their presence, if they failed to meet the July 7 deadline.

The CMM had on May 6 issued summons to the Ambani brothers, following a direction by Additional Sessions Judge P K Bhasin that they be asked to appear, for being "statutorily deemed to be guilty" of the offence allegedly committed by the company's officials.

PTI