The competition commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday released a list of individuals and firms who face stricter action for failing to deposit penalties totalling over Rs 2.17 crore with the regulator for over the last two years. The list of nine entities includes Bollywood actor Aamir Khan who has not deposited a fine of Rs 1 lakh in an unfair trade practice case.

According to a statement issued by the competition watchdog, the penalties range between Rs 1 lakh and go up to Rs 1.47crore which was to be paid by All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists.

"These are cases in which either appeals have not been filed or even if appeals have been filed, they have been dismissed," a CCI official said.

As per relevant sections of the Competition Act, the regulator will be approaching the Delhi metropolitan magistrate for effecting recovery, the official added. "We will file cases in the court of the Delhi metropolitan magistrate and if the court upholds these then the entities could face imprisonment upto three years and/or pay a penalty of Rs 25 crore," the official said.

All the cases pertain to unfair trade practices being adopted by the entities and after having completed investigation and hearings in all the cases, the orders were passed by the competition watchdog. Khan, who is amongst the list of defaulters, failed to cough up a penalty of Rs 1 lakh after a case of cartelisation between a group of 27 film producers was brought to light in 2009 by FICCI-Multiplex Association of India. The CCI, in May 2011, had ruled against all the 27 film producers and directed them to pay a penalty of Rs 1 lakh out of which, Khan failed to deposit the penalty.

Besides Khan, some of the other defaulters include IATA Agents Association of India, Telangana Telugu Film Distributors Association, Film Distributors Association, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce, Chemists & Druggists Association of Goa and All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists.

"All of them were sent notices and since they failed to act by either appealing or by depositing the fee, we will go ahead with the next step. It is important for people to know that the CCI cannot be taken lightly," the official added.