Supreme Court asks Karnataka HC to decide CCI plea for vacating stay on probe against e-com firms
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday asked the Karnataka High Court to decide the CCI plea for vacating stay on the investigation against e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart for alleged anti-competitive practices.
A bench comprising Justices A M Khanwikar, Dinesh Maheswari and Sanjiv Khanna asked the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to approach the High Court for relief.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CCI said that the probe ordered against e-commerce companies was administrative in nature and would not affect the rights of any party. He sought keeping the petition pending saying there are several wider issues involved in the case.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the e-commerce companies, said the CCI approached the top court after the delay of over 200 days.
The bench said that the High Court would hear the matter and decide it within six weeks and added the petition may be revived if no decision is given by the High Court in the said period.
On February 14, the High Court had granted an interim stay on the investigation ordered by the CCI against e-commerce companies Amazon and Flipkart.
Amazon had moved the high court seeking a stay on the investigation ordered by the CCI.
Flipkart also filed a petition in the High Court seeking to quash the order passed by the CCI directing a probe into allegations of anti-competitive conduct.
In its plea, Amazon had sought quashing and setting aside the CCI's January 13, 2020 probe order, and had also prayed the court to provide relief based on "facts and circumstances of the case in the interest of justice".
In its petition before the High Court, Amazon had contended that the CCI order had been passed "without application of mind" and would cause irreparable loss/ injury to the goodwill/reputation of the company if an investigation is allowed.
The fair trade regulator CCI, in January, this year had ordered the probe against Flipkart and Amazon for alleged malpractices, including deep discounting and tie-ups with preferred sellers on their platforms.
The order by CCI followed complaints filed by traders' bodies including by Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, whose members comprise many traders dealing in smart phones and related accessories.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Busy making reels: Kanhaiya Kumar stokes row with remark on Fadnavis's wife
Nagpur, Nov 14: Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday took a personal jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the latter's recent comment about countering "vote jihad' with "vote dharmyudh".
Is it that common people will fight this "dharmyudh" while children of leaders will study abroad far away from all this, Kumar asked.
"Or will it happen that we will fight to protect 'dharma' while the deputy CM's wife makes Instagram reels," he said addressing a rally for the Congress in Nagpur South West seat.
If "dharma" needs to be protected, then everyone will do it together, Kumar added.
In a rally recently, Fadnavis had said "vote jihad" took place in the Lok Sabha polls and members of a particular community ensured BJP did not get their votes. He claimed the Mahayuti lost the Dhule Lok Sabha seat due to this voting pattern in Malegaon.
Attacking Fadnavis, the former student activist asked why the BJP leader had a problem with sharing the CM's tenure with Uddhav Thackeray when he went on to be CM Eknath Shinde's deputy.
"Why did you split Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena? If you believed the NCP was corrupt, why did you induct its faction into the Mahayuti? This is because Shinde is not CM but chowkidar of corrupt Gujarati businessman," Kumar said in a swipe at the BJP-led ruling alliance.
In Nagpur South West, Congress' Prafulla Gudhade Patil is pitted against Fadnavis.
