CCI probe order on Amazon, Flipkart: SC transfers all pending cases to Karnataka HC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday transferred to Karnataka High Court petitions of Amazon and Flipkart, challenging a Competition Commission of India order for a probe into the e-commerce giants for alleged malpractices.
A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said if pleadings in some of the transferred petitions were not completed, the judge seized of the matter would grant reasonable time to complete the pleadings.
"It will be appropriate if all the petitions which are the subject matter of this transfer petition are transferred for hearing to the High Court of Karnataka," the bench said.
During the hearing, Attorney General R Venkataramani informed the apex court that, after filing of the present petition by fair trade regulator the Competition Commission of India (CCI), five pleas had been filed in different high courts.
The top court directed that these petitions be transferred to the High Court of Karnataka.
"If similar petitions are hereafter instituted in any other high court, the same shall be also covered by this order," the bench said.
The apex court had earlier issued a notice on the plea filed by the CCI, which sought the transfer of the petitions filed by the e-commerce giants from the high courts to the top court or Delhi High Court.
In its plea before the top court, the CCI sought directions to transfer either to the Supreme Court or Delhi High Court the cases pending before the high courts of Allahabad, Madras, Telangana, Punjab and Haryana, Delhi, and Karnataka.
The fair trade regulator ordered the probe into Flipkart and Amazon following allegations of malpractices, including deep discounting and tie-ups with preferred sellers on their platforms.
The CCI's probe order came after a complaint by the Delhi Vyapar Mahasang, whose members comprise many traders of smartphones and related accessories.
Amazon and Flipkart filed separate petitions in various high courts, challenging the CCI's probe order.
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Tej Pratap Yadav to contest from Mahua assembly seat in Bihar polls
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Patna (PTI): Former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav, who was recently expelled from the RJD by his father and founding president Lalu Prasad, has announced that he would contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections from Mahua seat in Vaishali district as an Independent candidate.
He is currently the MLA of Hasanpur seat in Samastipur district.
Speaking to reporters at his residence here on Saturday evening, he said, "Yes, this time, I will contest the elections from Mahua assembly seat as an Independent candidate. My opponents must have started to feel an itch."
"I have people's support... a large number of people are now connected with my 'Team Tej Pratap Yadav', a social media platform to reach out to people," he added.
He further claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would not retain his post after the assembly polls.
"I am confident that 'chacha' (Nitish) will not become the CM... those who would form the government, if they talk about youths, employment, education, and health, Tej Pratap Yadav will stand with them," he said.
The former Bihar minister was expelled from the party on May 25 by his father Lalu Prasad for six years.
He was expelled a day after he reportedly confessed on social media to being "in a relationship" with a woman named Anushka.
He, however, later deleted the Facebook post with a claim that his page was "hacked". Lalu Prasad also disowned Tej Pratap due to his "irresponsible behaviour".
A few days after his expulsion from the party, Tej Pratap had alleged that there was a "conspiracy" to drive a wedge between him and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav.
He had voiced his sentiments in a couple of posts on his X handle, blaming the crisis on 'Jaichand', a metaphor for traitors.
His expulsion came barely a few months ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, which the RJD will fight under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav. Born to Prasad and Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers of Bihar, the two brothers are among four of nine siblings active in politics.
Tej Pratap Yadav had made his political debut in the assembly polls of 2015, and is a second-term MLA with two brief stints in the state cabinet.
