SC dismisses Amazon, Flipkart pleas against CCI probe

In a major setback for Amazon and Flipkart, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed their individual appeals against a Karnataka High Court order allowing the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI’s) probe into their alleged anti-competitive business practices. Refusing to entertain the appeals filed by the two e-commerce firms, the apex court said that big companies like them should voluntarily come forward for such probes.

“There is a wrong understanding of the judgment here when notice is being sought… We expect big organisations like Amazon/Flipkart to voluntarily go for enquiry and you don’t want even that? You have to submit and inquiry has to be permitted…The inquiry must go on,” a bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana said. The court gave four weeks’ time to both the firms to prepare their submissions before the CCI.