India: RPT-DP World asks court to halt antitrust probe

Dubai’s DP World has asked an Indian court to halt an investigation into alleged antitrust violations at the country’s largest container port in Mumbai, claiming saying the regulator was seeking excessive information, a court document seen by Reuters showed.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) last year announced said it suspected antitrust violations by DP World and Denmark’s Moller-Maersk at the terminals they operate at state-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

The CCI’s investigation followed a complaint by Singapore’s PSA International Pt, which alleged that Maersk and DP World businesses created barriers to hinder the growth of PSA’s terminal by colluding on certain charges they levy at JNPT.

In December, a Mumbai high court declined a DP World plea to quash the investigation. Last week, DP World again approached the court to halt the probe, according to a court filing dated February 28 seen by Reuters.

The CCI’s investigation unit had on February 21 issued a “requisition notice” to DP World to provide information and documentation for conducting its antitrust investigation, the court filing showed.