The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday put a stop on all proceedings related to the Amazon-Flipkart case in the Delhi High Court. It has decided to hear the entire case itself and will begin the final hearing in the case on May 4. A Supreme Court bench of justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, Hrishikesh Roy and BR Gavai granted the stay on a plea filed by Amazon, which challenged the March-22 order passed by a division bench of the Delhi High Court.
"Further proceedings before a single judge and Division Bench before Delhi High Court stayed. Matter to be heard on May 4. All pleadings to be completed by then," the SC bench said.
Also read: RIL-Future deal: Kishore Biyani's firm may soon appeal before Delhi HC division bench
The division bench had stayed the Delhi HC single judge order, which directed to attach promoter Kishore Biyani and Future group's assets. Future Retail has said that it will "defend the matter/proceedings through legal counsels" after Amazon's appeal before the SC. Amazon in its latest plea in the SC termed the HC order was "random", "illegal" and "inequitable and unfair".
Also read: Amazon Vs Future: Jeff Bezos-led company moves SC against HC order
The Delhi High Court bench on March 22 removed the stay over Future proceeding with the mega deal with Mukesh Ambani's retail company. In its High Court plea, US-based e-commerce giant Amazon said the Kishore Biyani-helmed company violated terms of the contract it had with Amazon by signing the RIL deal.
Before that, a single bench of Delhi HC on March 18 gave a verdict against Future, saying the group wilfully violated Singapore Arbitrator's order and directed it not to take further action on the deal.
Also read: Future-RIL deal: Delhi HC halts Rs 24,713 crore acquisition; orders attachment of Biyani's assets
Future Group had announced the Rs 24,713 crore deal to sell its retail and wholesale assets to Reliance retail on August 29, 2020. However, Amazon, which had bought a 49 per cent stake in Future Coupons in 2019 for Rs 1,500 crore said its deal with Future prevents Biyani's company from selling shares of Future Retail to RIL as it indirectly owned about 3.5 per cent stake in Future Retail. On October 25, 2020, the Singapore arbitration court ruled in favour of Amazon and passed an interim order that put the deal on hold.
Also read: Future-RIL deal: Delhi HC stays single-judge bench order restraining Rs 24,713 crore deal