A US federal judge has formally dismissed the criminal bribery case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, but questioned the Justice Department’s handling of the decision to withdraw the prosecution.
Adani and seven other senior executives were charged in New York in November 2024 over allegations involving bribery, fraud and obstruction of justice.
US prosecutors had accused the defendants of paying more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials in an effort to secure solar energy contracts. They were also alleged to have misled US investors and financial institutions while seeking to raise billions of dollars.
While Adani welcomed the dismissal, describing the outcome with “humility and deep respect for the judicial process”, the ruling itself raised questions about how the prosecution came to an end.
In a 47-page decision, US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis expressed concern over the Justice Department’s approach to abandoning the case. He particularly criticised Trent McCotter, the principal associate deputy Attorney General, for allegedly disregarding the views of officials from several federal agencies involved in the matter and instead relying on his own assessment.
Garaufis described McCotter’s decision to seek dismissal as “highly unusual”, noting that he had worked largely with Adani’s defence lawyers and appeared to have proceeded without input from agencies that had investigated the allegations.
McCotter filed the dismissal request on May 18, stating that the Justice Department had reviewed the case and decided it would not commit further resources to pursuing the criminal charges.
Adani’s lawyer, Robert Giuffra, who also serves as US President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, and his team at Sullivan & Cromwell had submitted a 600-page document to McCotter outlining their position on the case.
Giuffra reportedly argued during a meeting at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to continue pursuing the allegations against Adani.
There were also reports that Adani had offered to invest $10 billion in the US and create 15,000 jobs as part of efforts to resolve the case. However, court documents showed that the proposal was not part of the Justice Department’s stated basis for seeking dismissal.
Adani, one of India’s most prominent businessmen, said following the decision that his faith in “the rule of law remained unwavering.”
The dismissal follows separate legal proceedings against Adani in the US. Earlier this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission reached a settlement in a civil bribery case involving Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani. The two agreed to pay a combined $18 million in penalties.
