A US federal court has permanently dismissed criminal charges against Indian industrialist Gautam Adani and others in a high-profile bribery and securities fraud case, marking a significant legal victory for the Adani Group.
The case originated in November 2024 when US prosecutors alleged that Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani, former Adani Green Energy CEO Vneet Jaain and others conspired to pay $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar power contracts projected to generate over USD 2 billion in profits.
Prosecutors also claimed investors were misled while the group raised more than $3 billion through US loans and bonds. The Adani Group consistently denied the allegations, calling them baseless.
In a related civil action, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) resolved its case with a final judgement requiring Gautam Adani to pay a $6 million civil penalty without admitting the allegations.
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice sought dismissal, arguing that continuing the prosecution no longer served the interests of justice due to jurisdictional and evidentiary challenges, the predominantly Indian nature of the alleged conduct, the absence of identified investor losses, and public-interest considerations.
The DoJ also described the original indictment, filed in the final weeks of the Biden administration, as a politically motivated “name and shame” exercise with little prospect of trial.
US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis accepted the motion after requiring sworn declarations confirming no quid pro quo involving Adani’s earlier promise to invest $10 billion in the United States. The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning the three charges cannot be refiled.
No witnesses were examined, and no findings were made on the underlying allegations that were found.
Welcoming the decision, Adani said his faith in truth, fairness and the rule of law remained unwavering and reaffirmed the group’s commitment to building for the nation.
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