A US judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, following the justice department's decision to abandon its fraud and bribery case. Brooklyn-based district judge Nicholas Garaufis granted federal prosecutors' request to drop the case.
Adani was charged in 2024 with agreeing to bribe Indian government officials to secure approval for a solar energy plant for a subsidiary of his Adani Group. He was also accused of misleading US investors regarding his company's anti-corruption practices. Adani Group has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The justice department announced on May 18 that it would no longer pursue the case. Judge Garaufis had requested the department to justify its decision, which a senior official, Trent McCotter, later attributed to the case being primarily foreign, difficult to prove, and inconsistent with current agency priorities.
Judge Garaufis also inquired whether anything had been promised in exchange for the case being dropped. Adani, in a sworn declaration on July 15, stated he was unaware of any such agreement, though he acknowledged a previous pledge to invest $10bn in the US.