Flipkart files petition challenging CCI's probe

After US-based e-commerce marketplace Amazon presented its arguments against India’s anti-trust body's probe order, Walmart-owned Flipkart, which is a party to the order, has filed a writ petition challenging the order into alleged violations of competition law.

Last week, the Karnataka High Court had issued an interim stay to the Competition Commission of India or CCI's investigation following Amazon's writ petition against the probe filed on Feb. 10. The court had granted two months to both the e-commerce companies to file their responses.

"We are a party to the CCI order and a respondent in Amazon’s writ against the order. Given this position and the High Court stay, as a procedural matter, we are also filing a writ,” a Flipkart spokesperson said, responding to a query from Entrackr.

The Bengaluru-based firm refused to share more details on the contents of the filing.

Flipkart, in its court filing on Feb. 18, said that the CCI probe order is based on no evidence against the platform. According to a Reuters report, the company termed the CCI order 'perverse and passed without any application of mind'.

The e-commerce company further appealed the court to quash the CCI's probe. The matter is scheduled to be heard next week.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court order had also outlined that the CCI probe order lacked material evidence against Amazon and Flipkart to prove that they entered into exclusive deals with smartphone manufacturers.

Earlier, Amazon’s counsel had raised questions on CCI’s jurisdiction and called the probe order ‘perverse, arbitrary, untenable in law’.

Amazon and Flipkart have been under the scanner over allegations of offering deep discounts, preferred listings, promotion of private labels and exclusive partnerships with phone brands.

On January 13, the CCI had issued an order to investigate the alleged competition law violations by Amazon and Flipkart.