New Delhi, July 3 -- The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the proposed audit of Delhi power distribution companies by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India and directed that status quo be maintained till July 15, when the matter will be heard next.

A bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and Shree Chandrashekhar also issued notice on an appeal filed by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) challenging an April order of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) on the issue of auditing power distribution companies.

The top court stayed the operation of APTEL's order, which had held that DERC could not entrust the audit to the CAG and had instead directed the regulator to appoint an independent Chartered Accountant...