Google likely to approach Supreme Court on Friday against CCI order

The appellate tribunal directed Google to pay 10 per cent of the penalty fees levied by the competition commission of India (CCI) as a condition for admitting its appeal for stay

Google India is likely to approach the Supreme Court on Friday requesting an urgent hearing against the order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Wednesday directing it to pay 10 per cent of the Rs 1,337-crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), sources said.

Google did not respond to Business Standard’s query.

The appellate tribunal directed Google to pay 10 per cent of the penalty fee as a condition for admitting its appeal for stay. In October, the CCI imposed the penalty on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem and violating Section 4 of the Competition Act.

The NCLAT said: “...keeping in view voluminous record and long impugned order, instead of passing any interim order, we are of the opinion that the appeal can be finally decided at the earliest.” The next date of hearing at NCLAT is April 3.

The NCLAT did not mention any reprieve to Google for conforming with the series of changes it was told to make by the CCI, the deadline for which ends on January 19.

The appellate tribunal also said that “no such urgency was shown in filing of the appeal” while declining Google’s appeal for an interim stay. “We are giving a short date for the final hearing of the appeal,” NCLAT said.

The CCI had also issued a cease and desist order against Google from unfair business practices, and directed it to modify its conduct.

The tech giant had said that complying with the order would entail changing the core architecture of the Android ecosystem.