Aishwarya Rathore –
Published on: August 09, 2021, at 14:40 IST
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Amazon and Flipkart appeals against the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) probe.
“As big e-commerce organisations you should volunteer for antitrust investigation but you are objecting,” remarked the bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.
Previously, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed the petition challenging CCI probe for alleged anti-competitive practices.
Amazon and Flipkart later appealed the High Court verdict, which the Supreme Court dismissed today.
The CCI had ordered the probe last year, alleging that the companies were favouring chosen vendors on their e-commerce platforms and engaging in anti-competitive business practices.
The inquiry is also focused on accusations the two circumvent India’s laws by creating complex business structures.
The inquiry has sparked public squabbles between the two e-commerce giants and the government. Both companies deny all wrongdoing and have mounted multiple legal challenges,
Last month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal slammed US e-commerce giants for filing legal challenges and failing to comply with the CCI’s probe.
The CCI had accused Amazon of concealing facts and making misleading submissions when it sought approval for a 2019 contract with an Indian company.
The e-commerce giants have been given four weeks to join inquiries against them.
In a major setback to their efforts to stall the antitrust investigations, the Court told the companies that since they denied all allegations, “They should not feel shy in facing an inquiry.”
Read more: SC adjourns Flipkart & Amazon Plea against Karnataka HC order for CCI Enquiry