Apple trying to scuttle probe: CCI tells Delhi HC

Justifying the law on global turnover-based penalties, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday told the Delhi High Court that the mobile phone giant Apple is trying to scuttle the probe. Senior Advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for CCI, said that the law is necessary so that an entity with no turnover in India can also be brought under the CCI net. “The object of this is the global turnover concept has been taken in those circumstances where you don’t have a base in India, how do you punish them?” he said.

He also claimed that Apple has filed the present plea to scuttle the CCI probe against it. The High Court on Monday issued notice to the Central Government and the CCI on a plea filed by tech giant Apple challenging the law allowing penalties on the “global turnover” of companies for anti-competitive practices. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed the Government and CCI to file their responses in a week and posted the case for further hearing on December 16.