US Judge Dismisses Criminal Case Against Gautam Adani
A U.S. judge has dismissed criminal fraud and bribery charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, after the U.S. Justice Department moved to abandon the high-profile case. Brooklyn-based Judge Nicholas Garaufis approved the dismissal but expressed concern over how prosecutors reached the decision, saying the process involved significant irregularities.
Adani had been charged in 2024 with allegedly agreeing to bribe Indian government officials to secure approval for a solar energy project and misleading U.S. investors about anti-corruption practices. Adani Group has denied wrongdoing. The Justice Department said the case was primarily foreign, difficult to prove and inconsistent with its current priorities. Adani welcomed the court’s decision, saying he respected the judicial process.
The judge said he found no evidence that Adani’s earlier pledge to invest $10 billion in the U.S. influenced the decision to drop the charges. However, he criticized a senior Justice Department official for working with Adani’s lawyers without consulting prosecutors and investigators involved in the case. Garaufis stressed that dismissing the case did not mean he agreed with the government’s decision or had ruled on the merits of the allegations.
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