WASHINGTON: Indiana pension funds and consumer groups asked the US Supreme Court on Sunday to stop the sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA while they challenge the deal.

The separate requests, which moved the legal battle to the nation's highest court, were filed after a US appeals court in New York approved Chrysler's sale to a group led by Fiat, a union-aligned trust and the US and Canadian governments.

The Chrysler case could set a precedent for General Motors Corp, which is using a similar quick sale strategy in its bankruptcy in New York.