Karnataka High Court Stays ₹10 Lakh CCPA Penalty on Flipkart
The Karnataka High Court has stayed a ₹10 lakh penalty imposed on Flipkart by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) over the sale of walkie-talkies on its platform without mandatory legal disclosures.
The penalty was imposed for allegedly allowing listings that did not inform buyers about licensing requirements, permitted frequency range, and the need for Equipment Type Approval (ETA) certification. The CCPA held that such omissions could mislead consumers into believing the devices were legal for unrestricted use.
Justice B M Shyam Prasad passed an interim order on February 2, staying both the penalty payment and the direction requiring Flipkart to conduct periodic self-audits, until the next hearing.
Earlier, in January 2026, the CCPA had imposed identical penalties of ₹10 lakh each on Flipkart and Meta Platforms (Facebook Marketplace), stating that hosting such listings amounted to misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Challenging the order, Flipkart argued before the High Court that it functions only as an intermediary. Senior Advocate G S Kannur, appearing for Flipkart, submitted that compliance obligations lie with individual sellers and not with online marketplace platforms.
The Court was also informed that Flipkart has already removed the concerned products from its website. Taking note of these submissions, the High Court granted interim relief and posted the matter for further hearing on February 11.
