Flipkart urges SC to restrain 'invasive' CCI probe
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Exposing its level of concern over the ongoing investigation against it, e-commerce platform Flipkart on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to restrain the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in a court filing of over 700 pages. It alleged that the body asked them sensitive questions in an "invasive" investigation of its e-commerce operations.
The CCI had demanded Flipkart to reveal its list of sellers, online discounts and pacts with smartphone makers, among other 32 questions on July 15, as part of its investigation into Flipkart and Amazon. It further gave Flipkart a deadline till July 30 to respond to the questions.
Flipkart told the SC that the details sought reinforced the invasive nature of the investigation. It further requested the apex court to put both the information request and the ongoing investigation on hold. Earlier, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed the company's requests to stop the investigation in June and July. It ruled that the investigation must continue.
"The information sought...is sensitive in nature," Flipkart said. Such investigations could have serious consequences on its reputation and goodwill, it added.
"It is evident that the director-general is determined to take precipitative action," it alleged, referring to the antitrust body's investigation chief.
