CCI Unveils ‘Leniency Plus’ Regime to Bust Cartels

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) recently notified the new CCI (Lesser Penalty) Regulations, 2024 (Regulations) which have also introduced the ‘leniency plus’ mechanism, which allows a lesser penalty applicant to also disclose the existence of a second cartel to the CCI and potentially benefit from penalty reductions in both. The Regulations also allow withdrawal of lesser penalty and lesser penalty plus applications, giving applicants greater flexibility in managing defense strategies in inquiries before the CCI.

However, once withdrawn, the DG or CCI can still use the information and evidence that was submitted by a lesser penalty applicant, but the applicant’s admission to having participated in a cartel can no longer be held against it. Additionally, it would have been good to have greater clarity on certain aspects of the Regulations.

Against this backdrop, our Partner Parthsarathi Jha has been quoted in an article “CCI Unveils ‘Leniency Plus’ Regime To Bust Cartels” authored by Sheikh Rashid from BW Businessworld.

Read his detailed insights here: https://bit.ly/3IcbBHL