The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed fines on three major e-commerce platforms for the sale and advertising of an unregistered agrochemical product.
Amazon and Flipkart each received a fine of 10 lakh rupees, while JioMart was fined 5 lakh rupees. The issue is related to the sale of the herbicide Cyclosinone, which is used to destroy weeds.
The CCPA required these marketplaces to cease the dissemination of false advertising and conduct internal audits to identify products that violate legislation or pose a threat to life and safety.
The case was initiated after the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare received a complaint from the Crop Care Federation of India.
The Department noted that insecticides and pesticides are regulated by the Insecticides Act of 1968 and the Insecticide Rules. It was established that the chemical substance named Cyclosinone does not appear in the Act's Schedule, and the product itself did not disclose its composition.
The CCPA rejected the companies' arguments that they cannot be held responsible for goods listed by third-party sellers.