Bengaluru: Three Flipkart sellers have sued the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in a bid to stop an antitrust investigation into their practices. The sellers—CIGFIL Retail, Wishery Online, and Xonique Ventures filed petitions in the Karnataka High Court, arguing that the investigation was unfair and violated due process. They claim they were initially asked to provide data for the probe but were later named as accused parties without proper notice.
The CCI’s investigation, completed in August, found that Flipkart, Amazon, and certain sellers were giving preferential treatment to specific vendors and product listings, violating competition laws. The sellers’ lawsuits aim to dismiss the findings and halt further proceedings.
This legal challenge follows similar action by an Amazon seller, who recently secured an interim injunction to block the investigation. The antitrust probe was launched in 2020 after complaints from retailers, represented by the Confederation of All India Traders. Both Flipkart and Amazon have denied any wrongdoing. The Karnataka High Court is expected to hear the case next week, which could delay the investigation.
