The police have arrested Amazon and Flipkart warehouses in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu which is close to Chennai on the grounds of violating the BIS Act, 2016 and many quality control orders. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) carried out the operation and seized consignments of goods from the market that did not have the BIS Standard Mark (ISI) which is compulsory.
The raid on Amazon resulted in the seizure of products worth Rs. 36 lakh, including insulated flasks, food containers, metallic water bottles, ceiling fans and toys. According to the authorities, such products cannot be stored or sold without a valid BIS license. In the same manner, baby diapers, casseroles, and stainless steel water bottles were seized from Flipkart for similar reasons, though the total value of the seizure is not revealed.
The BIS officials said that the products not bearing the BIS quality mark are easily available on e-commerce platforms and such platforms have become the hotspots for such sales. Any violations of the provisions of the BIS Act, 2016 shall be prosecuted as per Section 29 of the same. The penalties for the violations are imprisonment for a maximum of two years, or fine of between Rs. 2 lakh and ten times the market value of the goods seized.
G. Bhavani, the head of BIS Chennai, said that legal processes would begin after that. Nevertheless, without an official comment from Amazon or Flipkart on the seizures or the accusations, the enforcement action was taken.
As the focus on quality control continues to tighten, e-commerce giants are feeling the squeeze to comply with the rules. It is recommended that consumers check for the BIS certification when buying essential goods online.
