Amazon moves SC in Future Retail-Reliance case

In the intense high-profile legal tussle between US-based ecommerce giant Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings and Future Group, the former, on Thursday, filed a special leave petition in the Supreme court, appealing against the recent Delhi High Court order that allowed Future Group to go ahead with its proposed Rs. 24,713 crore deal with Mukesh Ambani-owned RIL.

In its petition Amazon has contended that the Delhi High Court’s division bench, according to the arbitration Act, did not have the authority firstly to entertain Future Group’s appeal against Amazon and secondly to pass any interim order that acts against the Singapore International Arbitration Centre’s 25 October emergency arbitration order that restrained Future Group from taking any step towards the asset sale deal with RIL.

On 8 February, Delhi High Court allowed Kishore Biyani-led Future Group to continue to continue working towards its Rs.24,713 crore deal with Reliance Industries Ltd., stating that US based e-commerce giant Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings cannot interfere in the deal and the regulatory authorities such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) or NCLT should not be prevented from discharging their statutory duties with regards to the deal.