Amazon & Flipkart's Legal Face-off: Supreme Court's Direction

The Supreme Court has instructed the transfer of Amazon and Flipkart's petitions, challenging the Competition Commission of India's probe into alleged malpractices, to the Karnataka High Court. The CCI had ordered an investigation into the e-commerce giants following a complaint regarding deep discounting and preferential seller tie-ups.

The Supreme Court has ruled that petitions filed by e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, contesting a Competition Commission of India (CCI) probe, should be moved to the Karnataka High Court. The decision comes in response to a plea by CCI seeking the transfer of these petitions from several high courts to ensure uniformity in proceedings.

During the hearing, a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Manmohan issued a notice, emphasizing that all similar cases pending across various high courts be consolidated at the Karnataka High Court. The matter is scheduled for hearing on January 6, 2025, with the bench instructing the high court not to proceed in the meantime.

The inquiry by CCI was triggered by allegations of deep discounting and preferential agreements with select sellers on platforms, based on a complaint from the Delhi Vyapar Mahasang. Amazon and Flipkart responded by filing multiple petitions challenging the validity of the investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)