Supreme Court refuses to stay Competition Commission of India probe against Amazon, Flipkart

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay an investigation by the Competition Commission of India against e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart for alleged predatory practices, saying they must volunteer for the probe.

“We will ensure it’s done,” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said even as it gave four weeks to the companies to prepare for the probe.

Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart had moved the top court against the July 23 order of the Karnataka High Court allowing the CCI to go ahead with its investigation against the companies for alleged violations of the competition laws.

The Karnataka High Court had rejected the plea of Amazon and Flipkart against the CCI probe for alleged violations of the competition law.

“The inquiry cannot be crushed at this stage. If the appellants aren’t involved in violations of any provisions of the competition law, they should not feel shy in facing an inquiry by the Competition Commission of India,” it had noted.

The CCI’s January 13, 2020 probe was ordered on a complaint by Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, comprising traders dealing in smartphones and related accessories. The CCI is looking into alleged malpractices by the two companies, including deep discounting and tie-ups with preferred sellers on their platforms.