Amazon, locked in legal disputes with Future, alleges the
Indian firm violated contracts by agreeing to sell its retail assets to
Reliance Industries last year. Future denies any wrongdoing.
Delhi high court this week dealt a blow to the US firm by
revoking a previous court decision that effectively blocked the deal, and
Amazon has filed an appeal against it in the top court in the capital city, the
three sources said.
Amazon and Future did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
The legal fight over Future's assets has embroiled two of
the world's richest men - Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Reliance's Mukesh Ambani. The
final outcome is seen shaping India's pandemic-hit shopping sector and will
determine if Amazon is able to dent the dominance of market leader Reliance.
In the New Delhi court, Amazon had argued that an October
decision by an arbitrator who had put the Future-Reliance deal on hold is
enforceable. While a Delhi court judge ruled in Amazon's favour recently,
effectively blocking the deal, that decision was overturned by a two-judge
bench on Monday.
Amazon will argue in its Supreme Court challenge that the
arbitration order is valid, one of the sources said.
The dispute centres around Future's decision in August to
sell its retail, wholesale and some other businesses to Reliance for $3.38
billion, including debt.
Amazon argues that a separate 2019 deal it had with a Future
unit had clauses saying the Indian group couldn't sell its retail assets to
anyone on a "restricted persons" list, including Reliance.
Future, India's second-largest retailer with over 1,700
stores, has said it will be pushed towards liquidation if the deal falls
through.
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