Amazon moves Karnataka HC seeking stay on CCI probe order

E-commerce giant Amazon on Monday moved the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on the investigation ordered by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against the company for alleged violations of provisions of competition laws.

In its plea, Amazon has sought "quashing and setting aside" of the CCI's probe order dated January 13, 2020.

It has also requested the court to provide relief based on "facts and circumstances of the case in the interest of justice".

When contacted, Amazon India in an emailed statement said, "the matter is subjudice and hence, we cannot offer any comments".

In its petition, Amazon said the CCI order had been passed "without application of mind" and would cause irreparable loss/injury to the goodwill/reputation of the company if an investigation is allowed.

It added that the order will cause "serious prejudice" against Amazon and its findings are "perverse, arbitrary, untenable in law".

In January, fair trade regulator CCI had ordered a probe against e-commerce majors Flipkart and Amazon for alleged malpractices, including deep discounting and tie-ups with preferred sellers on their platforms.

The order followed a complaint filed by Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, whose members comprise many traders dealing in smartphones and related accessories.