A US judge has dismissed criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, concluding a high-profile bribery and fraud case that saw the businessman accused of paying bribes to Indian officials and misleading US investors. Adani, who maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, has welcomed the court’s decision, expressing “humility” and “deep respect” for the judicial process.
The charges, filed in 2024, alleged that Adani engaged in bribery related to high-profile renewable energy projects in India and subsequently misrepresented facts to US investors.
In a 47-page order issued on Monday, US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis approved the Justice Department’s request to drop the charges against Adani. However, the judge delivered a strong critique of the manner in which the decision was reached. Judge Garaufis highlighted that R. Trent McCotter, the principal associate deputy attorney general, collaborated with Adani’s legal team on the dismissal without consulting the prosecutors and investigators who had been actively handling the case. The judge described this process as “highly unusual,” suggesting that McCotter appeared to have substituted his own judgment for that of officials directly involved in the investigation.
While the official court-filed order has not been publicly released, the BBC and other news organizations have reviewed a copy published by CourtListener, a US non-profit court archive.
The Justice Department initially sought the dismissal of charges in May, citing that a significant portion of the alleged conduct occurred outside the United States, which would complicate prosecution. They also argued that continuing the case no longer aligned with the department’s priorities. This request followed Adani’s retention of a new legal team led by Robert J. Giuffra Jr., co-chair of the US law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and a personal lawyer to then-President Donald Trump. Giuffra reportedly met with Justice Department officials earlier this year to convey concerns regarding the case.
Initially, Judge Garaufis resisted the government’s request, deeming its explanation for abandoning the prosecution insufficient in June and demanding further information from officials. He also questioned whether a pledge by Adani to invest $10 billion (£7.5 billion) in the US and create 15,000 jobs had influenced the decision. Adani had announced this investment in November 2024, in a social media post congratulating Donald Trump on his election victory. Subsequent reports indicated that Adani’s lawyers had raised the investment during discussions with the Justice Department about the case.
Adani’s lawyers firmly stated that the investment was never offered in exchange for the charges being dropped. Ultimately, Judge Garaufis concluded that the investment had not influenced the Justice Department’s decision. Nevertheless, he noted that the public could form their own conclusions regarding how such discussions might impact perceptions of equal justice and the rule of law.
The judge reiterated his finding that McCotter’s decision seemed to have been made without meaningful input from the prosecutors who initiated the case or the investigators from the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission. “The irregularities in the decision to dismiss the indictment are concerning,” Garaufis wrote.
The charges against Adani have been dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled. Adani, who never appeared in a US court during the proceedings, celebrated the ruling, stating on X, “Throughout this challenging period, our faith in truth, fairness and the rule of law remained unwavering.”
This criminal case is distinct from other ongoing US proceedings involving Adani and his companies. In May, Adani agreed to pay $6 million, and his nephew, Sagar Adani, agreed to pay $12 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission allegations concerning investor disclosures, without admitting or denying wrongdoing. Separately, Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the group, agreed to pay $275 million to resolve potential civil liability over apparent violations of US sanctions on Iran.
Gautam Adani, 64, is the chairman of the Adani Group, a vast conglomerate with interests spanning energy, ports, airports, and other infrastructure businesses. He is recognized as one of India’s wealthiest individuals and is widely considered to have close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with both men hailing from the western Indian state of Gujarat.
