India, Aug. 7 -- The Supreme Court has declined to stay the Bombay High Court's order that quashed the Centre's retrospective one-time spectrum charge (OTSC) demands against Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), giving the two telecom operators continued relief while the legal challenge moves forward.

A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan issued notice on the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) appeal but rejected the Centre's request to put the High Court ruling on hold. The Supreme Court will examine the Centre's challenge, meaning the dispute itself is not yet over.

The immediate consequence is that the Bombay High Court's 8 June 2026 judgment remains in force. The High Court had struck down the DoT's d...