A division bench of justices G Huluvadi Ramesh and K Kalyana Sundaram gave the oral direction when an appeal filed by Maran, challenging the October 10 single-judge order dismissing his petition filed against the I-T action, came up for hearing. Besides Maran, appeals have been filed by Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd and South Asia FM Limited, linked to his brother and media baron Kalanithi Maran, whose petitions against the I-T notices have also been dismissed.

When the appeals came up for hearing, senior counsels for the former minister apprehended that the I-T department might take "undue" advantage of the Dussera court holidays starting Saturday and issue assessment orders, making the appeals infructuous, and said the interest of the appellants had to be protected.