This petition was filed during the course of another case over a similar matter being heard by the apex court, involving Anil Ambani group's Reliance Natural Resources and his elder brother Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries.

Reliance Industries had also been contending in the Mumbai court that its gas supply-purchase agreement with NTPC never took the shape of a final contract, because there was a disagreement over some clauses.

NTPC has also pointed out in its petition with the apex court that the minutes of the empowered group of ministers categorically mention that its pricing for gas from Krishna-Godavari basin was court rulings.

Curiously, NTPC had said in a filing Friday with the Bombay Stock Exchange that it has virtually reached a pact with Reliance Industries for 2.67 million units of gas per day from the same fields based on the ministerial panel's allocation.

'It is informed that NTPC is committed to draw allocated gas for its National Capital Region's gas-based power stations at Anta, Dadri and Faridabad without prejudice to its rights and contentions in the ongoing suit pending before the honourable Bombay High Court, for Kawas and Gandhar expansion projects,' it said.