NCLAT refuses interim relief to Google on Rs 936-cr penalty imposed by CCI

New Delhi: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Wednesday declined to grant interim relief to Google seeking a stay on competition watchdog CCI’s penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on the tech giant for abusing its dominant position with respect to Play Store policies.The appellate tribunal has directed Google to deposit 10 per cent of the fine before its registry in the next four weeks. A two-member bench comprising Justice Rakesh Kumar and Alok Srivastava issued notices to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and other respondents and posted the matter for hearing on April 17, 2023.
However, the tribunal denied interim relief to Google in the case. It has directed that the part deposit be made within four weeks of the order. The case will be heard next on April 17, and the two-member bench comprising Justice Rakesh Kumar and Alok Srivastava issued notices to the CCI and other respondents.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Google’s plea for stay on an NCLAT order directing the tech giant to pay 10 per cent of a Rs 1,337 crore fine by CCI alleging abuse of dominant position by the tech giant in relation to Android OS.
Google is also facing a separate probe into its business conduct in the news content and Smart TV market in India. CCI’s antitrust order against Google will affect Android ecosystem growth in India, the tech giant said. The order will necessitate altering existing contracts and existing arrangements with more than 1,100 device makers and thousands of app developers while also requiring new license agreements, Google said.
While challenging the tribunal order on part payment of the Rs 1,337 crore penalty, Google apprised the Supreme Court that the order will cause irreversible damage to user safety.