Madison Communications moves Delhi HC against CCI probe

Mumbai: Media agency Madison Communications has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Competition Commission of India's probe into alleged cartelisation among leading marketing and communications groups.

The agency told the court that its executives were questioned without access to legal counsel and that it had not been given adequate information about the probe proceedings. It has urged the court to halt the investigation being carried out by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The matter is listed for hearing on Friday.

In March, the competition watchdog conducted search and seizure operations at the offices of GroupM (now WPP Media), Madison, IPG Mediabrands, Dentsu and Omnicom, following allegations of anti-competitive conduct through cartelisation. The regulator also searched the premises of the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) and the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA).

In its submission before the chief metropolitan magistrate, Delhi, seeking permission for the search operations, the CCI had stated that cartel arrangements existed among advertisers and media agencies through their respective industry bodies-the ISA and the Advertising Agencies Association of India.