Last month, the Bombay High Court asked Reliance Industries to supply 28 million units to Reliance Natural Resources for 17 years at $2.34 per unit after assigning 12 million units to the state-run National Thermal Power Corp.

Reliance Industries has challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court, even as the ministry of petroleum and natural gas has joined the dispute as part owner of the gas, and has called for the family pact to be declared null and void.

This stand has been contested by Reliance Natural Resources. It says the dispute has been depicted as one with the government, rather than one between the two companies, adding the government actually has little role to play in it.

All parties have filed their respective affidavits and stated their positions in the Supreme Court before Monday, which was the date fixed for commencement of hearing on what has turn out to be a high-profile corporate battle.