NEW DELHI: Following an assurance that it was prepared to give live feed to Prasar Bharati and action against it was unwarranted, Nimbus was today directed by the Delhi High Court to provide live feed for the cricket match between India and Sri Lanka to be played on 17 February in Visakhapatnam.

The bench comprising Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice JP Singh passed the order after Nimbus counsel Gopal Jain mentioned the matter before the bench seeking protection against the showcause notice issued by the information and broadcasting ministry alleging there had been violation of the provisions of the Sports Broadcasting (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Ordinance 2007.
Nimbus wanted the court to direct the Centre not to take action against it as it had offered to provide live feed of the match to the Prasar Bharati. Under the ordinance, the licence given to Neo Sports owned by Nimbus can be suspended.

The court directed the government not to take any decision or action till 9 March, the next date of hearing.

The court also issued notices to the Centre and Prasar Bharati on a petition filed by Nimbus challenging the ordinance, which makes it mandatory for private broadcaster to share live feed with the pubcaster.

Earlier in the day, Nimbus had approached another Bench of the Delhi High Court presided over by Justice BD Ahmed seeking protection from the Centre's threat to cancel its licence if it did not respond to the government's show cause notice by today.

However, Justice Ahmed had said then that the broadcaster should raise the issue before the Division Bench that was already hearing two cases on the issue - Nimbus' challenge of the ordinance and the appeal by Prasar Bharati against a single bench's order permitting a seven-minute deferred telecast of the cricket matches.