Bharatmatrimony.com moves SC against MRTPC order
Bharatmatrimony.com moves SC against MRTPC order
PTI
New Delhi: Bharatmatrimony.com Pvt Ltd has moved the Supreme Court against the order of anti-monopoly watchdog, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commision (MRTPC), which restrained the matrimony portal from making claims about its success stories.
MRTPC had passed an interim order in April on a petition from People Interactive Pvt Ltd, which also runs a matrimony website Shaadi.com.
Bharatmatrimony had last year claimed that it had arranged 1,942 marriages between 1999 and 2006 and facilitated seven lakh more wedlocks.
It had also advertised through newspapers that it had eight times more success rate than its nearest rival, implying Shaadi.com.
A bench headed by Justice S H Kapadia deferred the hearing for a week on a request by senior counsel Soli Sorabjee, who stated that Bharatmatrimony was working out a settlement with People Interactive Pvt Ltd.
According to Bharatmatrimony, the Commission had no jurisdiction to grant interim relief to its rival service provider and there was no material available to prove misrepresentation and disparagement.
It further said in the petition that the Commission had grossly erred in arriving at the conclusion as the complaint cannot be made by a trader or a class of traders.
While seeking quashing of the MRTPC order, it said that the order had the effect of preventing it from carrying on its legitimate business and attracting customers.
Alleging unfair trade practises, People Interactive had moved MRTPC seeking unconditional apology for false and misleading claims on the ground that it was disparaging its services. It had stated that that though Bharatmatrimony.com did not mention its name, it was implied.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!