India, Investigating High Profile Companies, Warns Staff Not To Talk To Media

Photo: Reuters/Adnan Abidi

NEW DELHI, (REUTERS) – India’s antitrust watchdog has warned staff in an internal memo not to share any information with the media when they are not authorized to do so, citing a 60-year-old rule that prohibits such interactions, a document shows.

The CCI is investigating high-profile companies and reviewing deals involving the likes of Amazon, Walmart’s Flipkart, Reliance, Walt Disney and liquor maker Pernod Ricard.

“It has been observed that of late certain information related to the cases (under review) are published/available in the media … this has been viewed very seriously,” the Competition Commission of India said in an August 20 memo to all staff.

CCI this week reached an initial assessment that the $8.5 billion Indian merger of Reliance and Disney media assets harms competition due to their power over cricket broadcast rights and had been sent a warning notice.

Earlier this month, the CCI also privately took an unusual step of recalling two reports that detailed alleged breaches of competition law by Apple.

The internal CCI staff memo also said disciplinary action can be taken for non-compliance with the rules, adding that they also apply to officers even after they leave the CCI.

The memo cited a 1964 government rule that says “no government servant shall, except in accordance with general or special order …. communicate, directly or indirectly, any official document or any part thereof or information.”