Karnataka HC deals blow to Amazon, Walmart''s Flipkart in antitrust case

Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed pleas by Amazon.com Inc and Walmart’s Flipkart to quash an antitrust investigation, a lawyer told Reuters, more than a year after the probe was put on hold after legal challenges by the companies.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) announced a probe in January 2020 into Amazon and Flipkart following a complaint from a trader group that alleged they were promoting some “preferred sellers" and in turn hurting business for other, smaller sellers.

The companies denied any wrongdoing and obtained a stay from a court last year.

The High Court on Friday dismissed the petitions by Amazon and Flipkart to quash the probe, Abir Roy, a lawyer for the opposing Indian trader group told Reuters, effectively paving the way for the restart of the investigation.