Amazon-Future Retail case: SC defers hearing

Even as the Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing in the Amazon-Future Retail legal battle till December 8, the e-commerce firm said it has filed a special leave petition (SLP) challenging the Delhi High Court’s order that directed the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to decide within two weeks a Confederation of All India Traders’ (CAIT) plea, seeking revocation of approval granted to the Amazon-Future Group deal in 2019.

Amazon said that the CAIT’s plea “is an attempt to open up another front, apparently at the behest of the Future Group to agitate the same allegations which have been rejected” last month by the arbitral tribunal, which found that Amazon disclosed all the necessary information to the CCI, and there was no inconsistency between its representations to the CCI and the representations in the arbitral proceedings, the appeal stated. Amazon, in its fresh SLP, is likely to be heard next week, said that the HC issued its directions without appreciating that the CAIT’s PIL was filed “with ulterior motives to interfere in a private transaction,” involving Amazon, with which the trade body had no connection. These directions were also passed without even hearing the e-commerce firm and without making it a party in the case, the appeal stated.