COMPAT adjourns CCI-DLF case till February 7

The Competition Appellate Tribunal today adjourned its hearing till February 7 on DLF's appeal against Rs 630 crore penalty imposed by the CCI, after the realtor said it would file objections to a new supplementary order passed by fair trade regulator in this matter.

Listing the matter for further hearing next month, the tribunal said that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has modified the agreement between DLF and its apartment buyers for Belaire project in Gurgaon, but is yet to amend the agreements for other projects.

The company also informed the COMPAT bench, headed by its Chairman Justice V S Sirpurkar, that it would file objections before it against the modified agreement proposed by CCI.

Last week, CCI passed a 104-page supplementary order modifying terms and conditions of the buyers agreement for Belaire project of DLF, pursuant to a COMPAT direction to specify extent and manner in which the pact should be amended.

As per the CCI order, the apartment buyers agreement has been amended to remove the "abusive and unfair conditions present in the original one-sided agreement" and the modifications have been done taking into account the interest of both parties.

The original order was passed by CCI on August 12, 2011 following its inquiries into complaints filed by flat buyer associations of two DLF projects in Gurgaon - DLF Park Palace and The Belaire - alleging delays in the project and increase in the number of floors than planned earlier, among others.

The COMPAT is hearing a petition filed by DLF against the CCI order, wherein a penalty of Rs 630 crore and other sanctions were imposed on it for abuse of dominance.