The verdict came in a batch of appeals, the lead plea of which was one by Coal India challenging a December 2016 ruling of the erstwhile Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT).
The Compat had dismissed Coal India’s challenge to an October 2014 order of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
The CCI had found the public-sector coal company guilty of abuse of dominance in terms of the production and supply of non-coking coal to thermal producers, in violation of the Competition Act.
Pertinently, CCI had directed Coal India to ‘cease such anti-competitive conduct’.
While it had initially imposed a penalty of ₹1733.05 crore, the same was reduced to ₹591.01 crore after the COMPAT had in the first round of litigation remanded the matter for a fresh decision.
The competition watchdog had acted on information filed by Sai Wardha, a Maharashtra-based coal-fired thermal power generation company.
It had also received complaints from the Maharashtra Generating Company Limited, the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited, the Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Corporation Limited, the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited, and the Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association.
Source: Barandbench
