Amazon-Future cases: Delhi High Court single-judge to start hearing on February 24

The Delhi High Court has said that it will consider the batch of petitions dealing with the ongoing dispute between Amazon and Future Group on February 24 [Future Coupons Private Limited and Ors v Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC and Anr]..Single-judge Justice C Hari Shankar also hinted that the Court will first deal with the Future Group's appeal against arbitral tribunals' order refusing to vacate the stay on Future-Reliance deal first and then proceed with other matters. .The judge noted on Friday that there were broadly four ‘dramatis personae’ (Amazon, Future Coupons, Future Retail and Reliance) in the litigation and four sets of cases before him which need to be dealt with by the Court.Justice Hari Shankar set out the genesis and the background of the litigation and asked counsel appearing for all sides to file their brief notes to facilitate the hearing of the matters before the next date of hearing.The Court also made clear that facts recited in its order setting the background are only intended for fixing a schedule and not an expression of any opinion since the court has not applied its mind even tentatively..All the matters related to the Amazon-Future dispute were transferred to the Justice Hari Shankar’s bench pursuant to an administrative order passed by Chief Justice DN Patel..The order followed the February 1 direction from the Supreme Court whereby it set aside the October 29, 2021 decision of the Delhi High Court refusing to stay the award passed by a Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) tribunal which had restrained Future Group from going ahead with its ₹24,731 crore merger deal with Reliance Retail.The apex Court also set aside the single-judge order of the Delhi High Court dated February 2, 2021 which had upheld the award of an emergency arbitrator, directing attachment of the properties and restraining Future Retail Limited from going ahead with the ₹24,713 crore merger with Reliance Retail.The apex court then remitted the matter back to the High Court “for adjudication on its own merits” as it raised important questions of law..The High Court is now seized of two appeals filed by the Future Group against the October 25, 2021 order of the arbitration tribunal through which it refused to stay the operation of the emergency arbitrator which stayed Future Retail’s deal with Reliance.Applications have also been filed by the Future Group to vacate the said stay and allow it to proceed with the deal. The Court is dealing with another suit filed by the Future group seeking to restrain Amazon from allegedly interfering in its arrangement with Reliance.Amazon on the other hand, has filed an enforcement petition seeking enforcement of award by the emergency arbitrator whereby the deal between Future Group and Reliance was stayed.The court is also seized of a writ petition filed by the American e-commerce giant against seeking quashing of the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into its deal with the Future Group. Though it was pointed out that this petition has nothing to do with the other matters, Justice Hari Shankar reiterated that the matters came to be listed before him through the administrative of the Chief Justice and therefore if the counsel have any issues with, the same should be taken up before appropriate forum..The bench said that it will deal with the the Future Group's appeal against the order passed by the arbitration tribunal first and then proceed with other matters.