New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday resumed hearing of the dispute between the Ambani brothers over the supply of gas to Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL), by Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), with a new three-judge bench. The new bench was reconstituted after justice R.V. Raveendran decided to step down from it on Wednesday citing conflict of interest.

Starting afresh: The three-judge SC bench hearing the case was reconstituted after one of the judges stepped down on Wednesday. Ramesh Pathania / Mint

Justice B. Sudershan Reddy has replaced Raveendran in the bench, which is headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.

The high-profile hearing on Thursday was marked by acrimony.

Whereas RNRL’s counsel Ram Jethmalani accused the ministry of petroleum of colluding with RIL, Harish Salve, counsel for RIL, asked Jethmalani to maintain decorum and not reduce the hearing to a street brawl.

The proceedings in the court began with Salve presenting a synopsis of the entire case to the bench. He explained the nature of production-sharing contract between the contractor (RIL) and the government and why RIL cannot supply gas to RNRL.