New York, Aug 11: A US federal judge has dismissed the criminal case against Indian billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani after the Trump administration decided to drop fraud and bribery allegations against him.
Brooklyn federal judge Nicholas Garaufis formally approved prosecutors’ May request to dismiss the 2024 charges, which accused Adani of participating in an alleged $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials in connection with lucrative solar energy contracts.
US media reports said Adani’s lawyer, Robert Giuffra, who also represents US President Donald Trump, had told Justice Department officials in April that the businessman was prepared to invest $10 billion in the US economy if the charges were dropped.
The judge had earlier questioned whether the reported investment proposal influenced the government’s decision to seek dismissal of the case. However, Garaufis ultimately concluded that the pledge was not a factor in the prosecutors’ decision.
The judge nevertheless criticised the manner in which Trump-appointed Deputy Associate Attorney General Trent McCotter handled the dismissal.
Garaufis said it was unusual that McCotter appeared to have reached the decision largely in consultation with Adani’s defence lawyers, without apparent input from FBI and SEC investigators involved in the case or the prosecutors who had originally brought the charges.
The Adani Group is one of India’s largest conglomerates, with interests spanning ports, power, cement, infrastructure and media.
Adani, one of India’s wealthiest businessmen, has faced several corporate controversies in recent years, including allegations of financial misconduct and a sharp decline in the group’s stock value.
He is also known to be a supporter of Trump and has maintained close ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with both Adani and Modi hailing from Gujarat.
Reacting to the US court’s decision, Adani said he welcomed the ruling with “humility and deep respect” for the judicial process.
He added that throughout the legal proceedings, his faith in “truth, fairness and the rule of law” had remained unwavering.
