The Kerala high court on Thursday referred the petitions filed by PepsiCo and Coca Cola, seeking to quash the government order imposing a ban on the manfacture and sale of their products, to a division bench.

Justice S Sirijagan referred the petitions, filed by Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Ltd and Pepsi India Holdings Private Ltd, for the consideration of the division bench as a public interest litigation seeking prohibition of manufacture and sale of Coca Cola and Pepsi was pending.

After the counsels submitted the matter was 'extremely urgent', the court directed that the petitions should be placed before the chief justice on Thursday.

Complete coverage: Soft drinks, hard truths

On August 21, the court admitted the two petitions but declined to stay the Kerala government order before hearing the government and had posted the case for Thursday.

In separate petitions, the petitioners had sought a direction prohibiting the state government from taking action against them.

They wanted the government order of August 10 and August 11 on the ban to be set aside.