BackHC reserves order on FRL plea against Amazon approaching regulators in RIL deal
Opposing the plea by FRL that Amazon was destroying competition in the market, advocate for the US e-commerce giant said it had invested $6.5 billion all over India and employed more than 9 lakh people
PremiumNEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday reserved its order on Future Retail Limited’s plea seeking to restrain Amazon from approaching regulatory bodies, such as the Competition Commission of India against the deal with Reliance’s retail arm.
The court concluded hearing arguments by both parties and reserved its judgment. The court has directed the parties to file written submissions by Monday.
Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium appearing for Amazon said “The rules of arbitration varies but parties can still choose. That is the freedom in consent. What have the parties chosen here that they have agreed to the gamut of the SIAC (Singapore International Arbitration Centre) rules."
“Merely because the arbitrator and the tribunal is in Singapore it will be deemed to be have passed in Delhi as the seat is New Delhi. The order is jurisdictionally competent. To submit that it is not efficacious in law is to cause collateral damage," he added.
Opposing the plea by FRL that Amazon was destroying competition in the market, Subramanium said that Amazon has invested $6.5 billion all over India and employed more than 9 lakh people.
“The company is controlled by Biyanis. We also attempted to assist FRL. They made us believe that they were engaging in the assistance being provided by us. There is an impression that there is a one way street..." he said.
Senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for FRL also made arguments opposing the submissions made by Amazon.
The dispute relates to Future’s sale of its retail, wholesale and warehousing assets to Mukesh Ambani’s RIL for ₹24,713 crore. Amazon, which owns a 5% indirect stake in Future Retail, had contested the sale in the Singapore court, claiming that its 2019 investment agreement bars the Future Group from selling its assets to RIL.The Singapore court on 25 October restrained Future from selling its assets to RIL.
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