NCLAT’s Panel of Google’s Play Store Appeals Set to Start on November 28

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) will start hearing Google’s case against a Rs 936.44 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on November 28. The penalty was for Google allegedly misusing its dominance in the Play Store. This hearing comes after one of the tribunal members, Justice Rakesh Kumar, stepped aside from the case on April 17.

The NCLAT, led by Chairman Justice Ashok Bhushan and Alok Srivastava, asked all involved parties, including start-ups and the CCI, to submit their responses within four weeks. Google was given two weeks to provide any further responses.

On October 25, 2022, CCI fined Google and ordered the company to stop unfair practices and address anti-competitive issues. Google contested this decision with the NCLAT.

Previously, on January 11, the NCLAT refused to grant Google interim relief and directed it to deposit 10% of the fine. The matter was scheduled for a hearing on April 17, 2023.

Google also faced another penalty of Rs 1,337 crore from CCI for alleged abuse of its dominant position in the Android smartphone operating system. The NCLAT upheld this fine but removed some conditions related to third-party app stores on Play Store. Google initially challenged this penalty in the Supreme Court but later withdrew and decided to pursue it before the NCLAT.

The Supreme Court instructed the NCLAT to decide on Google’s appeal by March 31.