CMM R K Gauba's order followed an order from Delhi High Court directing him to separate Kesri's trial from the trial of two other accused -- The Times Of India and the Nav Bharat Times.

Gauba directed his staff to "prepare a separate case file containing photocopies of all the proceedings conducted so far including a copy of the complaint and other materials filed there under."

He further directed separate registration of Kesri's file and posted the matter for July 26. The case against the two newspapers will come up on July 27.

The CMM took strong exception to Kesri's absence and asked counsel Kailash Gambhir to ensure his presence on the next date of hearing.

Earlier, on January 30, Gauba had rejected Kesri's plea for separation of his trial from the two newspapers saying that theoffences committed by each of the three accused formed part of the same transaction and hence they were liable to be tried jointly.

The RSS had dragged Kesri to the court in April last year for allegedly defaming the organisation by holding it responsible for the Coimbatore bomb blasts.