[Amazon-Future Group] Supreme Court adjourns matter for hearing after vacations; to be taken up on Jan 11

  • Aishwarya Iyer
  • 04:18 PM, 08 Dec 2021

Read Time: 05 minutes

The Supreme Court today adjourned the Amazon-Future Group case, to be taken up after the vacations. It will now be taken up on January 11, 2022.

The bench was hearing two petitions filed by Future Retail Limited against the order of the Delhi High Court directing enforcement of the order passed by the Emergency Arbitrator of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).

Earlier, the Emergency Arbitrator had restrained Future Retail from going ahead with a deal worth Rs. 24,731 crores with Reliance Industries Ltd selling its retail and wholesale business.

The Delhi High Court had upheld the Emergency Award passed against Future-Reliance deal, observing that Future Retail, Future Coupons, Kishore Biyani and others had violated the Emergency Award.

Supreme Court had the ordered a stay on the ongoing proceedings before Delhi High Court on the order concerning enforcement, passed by the Emergency Arbitrator of Singapore International Arbitration Centre in Amazon's plea.

Today, a CJI-led bench expressed its displeasure against Amazon's submission of written arguments at 10 pm last night. 

"Amazon put in written arguments at 10 (pm) last night. Since the board was light, I was able to read it. How can it be like this?", asked the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana.

"The purpose of our direction earlier is that you can circulate written arguments early. We have been getting it from last 10 pm. These written arguments cannot be understood. This is not the way it is done", further remarked the Court.

To this, Senior Advocate Harish Salve replied saying he was also not happy with the way the submissions were done.

"Please pass it over. I will take instructions", added Salve.

Noting that the matter was listed before the Arbitral Tribunal, SIAC, in January, the Court went on to post the matter after winter vacations.

Last month, the top court had shown its displeasure on the voluminous documents being filed in the Amazon-Future Group case. 

The bench was hearing an intervention application seeking clarification on the Supreme Court order staying proceedings before the Delhi High Court.

The dispute between Amazon and Future Coupons Pvt Ltd goes back 2 years, when Amazon had made an investment in one of the Future group firms.

Cause Title: Future Coupons Private Limited and Ors. vs Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC and Ors.