The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it will club together and hear on Friday all the pending petitions related to the Amazon and Future dispute in connection with the 2019 deal between the firms. A bench of Justice C Hari Shankar said the court wants to deal with the pleas in a speedy manner and does not want to keep them “hanging”.
Last week, the apex court had set aside two previous verdicts by the Delhi High Court’s two separate single judge benches. Also, the court had asked the high court to hear the dispute afresh on merit. During the course of the hearing, the court asked the counsels from both sides to submit on record short notes setting out the controversy by Thursday. Further, it listed the matter for hearing on Friday.
While Amazon’s counsel Rajiv Nayar sought the Amazon vs ED not to be clubbed with this batch of pleas, the bench said that the issue should be raised with the Chief Justice, since it was through an administrative order that the present cases came to be listed before the court.
In January, intensifying the legal battle, Amazon had moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court order, which stayed the ongoing arbitration proceedings with the Future Group, in connection with the 2019 deal between the firms. On January 5, the Delhi High Court stayed further arbitration proceedings between the parties before the Singapore tribunal till February 1.
The Supreme Court while setting aside the Delhi High Court orders, which included initiating coercive steps against Future Group companies and its promoters for alleged violation of the emergency award (EA) passed by the Singapore Arbitration Tribunal, said the courts should be cautious, especially in commercial matters having a serious impact on the economy and employment of thousands of people.
