C&M successfully defends CCI’s probe into JioStar before Supreme Court

Chandhiok & Mahajan, Advocates and Solicitors successfully represented Asianet Digital Network Pvt. Ltd. before the Supreme Court of India, which dismissed a special leave petition filed by JioStar against a judgment of the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court.

The Kerala High Court had upheld the Competition Commission of India’s jurisdiction to examine allegations of anti-competitive conduct, even in regulated sectors. It clarified that the Supreme Court’s decision in Bharti Airtel was limited to its facts and does not bar parallel proceedings as a general rule. The Court also held that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is not equipped under the TRAI Act to investigate anti-competitive practices.

The Supreme Court declined to interfere and dismissed JioStar’s SLP at the admission stage, allowing the Competition Commission of India to continue its investigation into the alleged discriminatory conduct.

Asianet Digital Network was represented by Senior Advocate Mr. Kapil Sibal and Advocate Mr. Samar Bansal, along with Avinash Amarnath, Karan Singh Chandhiok, Tarun Donadi, Uday Bali, Naman Golechha, Vanshika Arora, and Lalitha Durvasula of Chandhiok & Mahajan.