New Delhi, Jun 27 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed Justice M. Sathyanarayanan to hear the plea by 18 unseated AIADMK lawmakers belonging to the T.T.V. Dinakaran faction challenging their disqualification from the membership of Tamil Nadu Assembly.

The top court's vacation bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul appointed Justice Sathyanarayanan as the third judge to hear the request following a split verdict by a two-judge bench of the Madras High Court.

With this, the apex court declined a plea by the disqualified lawmakers seeking a transfer of their plea from the Madras High Court to the Supreme Court.

The court appointed Justice Sathyanarayanan after the unseated MLAs withdrew their aspersions against the third judge who was appointed earlier to hear the matter.

Noting that all the aspersions against the third judge stand expunged, the court said: "We consider it appropriate to assign the matter to Justice Satyanarayana. He will hear the matter and decide."