US Court Dismisses Criminal Case Against Gautam Adani Accepting Justice Dept Decision To Drop Prosecution

A US federal court has dismissed the criminal case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, following the US Justice Department's decision to drop the prosecution over allegations of bribery and fraud. However, the judge expressed reservations about the manner in which the Justice Department decided to abandon the case, Reuters reported.

US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn approved federal prosecutors' request to dismiss the charges on Monday. The decision came after the judge sought an explanation from the Justice Department about why it had decided to stop pursuing the high-profile prosecution.

The judge said he was satisfied that a $10 billion investment commitment previously made by Adani to the United States had not influenced the government's decision to drop the charges. At the same time, he criticised the process followed by the Justice Department, particularly the role played by Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter.

According to the judge, McCotter had taken the decision after discussions with Adani's defence lawyers without seeking the views of prosecutors and federal agents who had investigated the case.

Judge Garaufis described the circumstances surrounding the decision as concerning, saying that McCotter appeared to have disregarded the professional assessments of officials across several federal offices and substituted his own judgment.

The Justice Department has defended the decision. In an earlier court filing, McCotter said the prosecution was primarily concerned with conduct outside the United States, would be difficult to prove and did not fit with the department's current enforcement priorities.

The charges against Adani arose from a 2024 indictment accusing him and others of participating in a scheme involving alleged payments to Indian government officials to secure approval for a solar energy project. Prosecutors had also alleged that investors in the United States were misled about the company's anti-corruption practices.

The judge made clear that his order dismissing the case should not be understood as an endorsement of the Justice Department's decision. Nor, he said, did the dismissal amount to a determination on whether the allegations against Adani had merit.

The proceedings had also drawn attention to Adani's earlier commitment to invest $10 billion in the United States. Adani acknowledged in a court filing that he had made the pledge in 2024. His lawyers had told the Justice Department that the Adani Group was willing to follow through on the investment as part of a possible resolution of the case.

The Justice Department, however, denied that the investment promise played a role in its decision to seek dismissal.

Garaufis said he was not taking a position on the propriety of the defence's attempts to resolve the case through monetary or other offers. He left it to the public to consider what implications such offers could have for the equal administration of justice and the rule of law.

Separately, Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani have agreed to pay $6 million and $12 million respectively to resolve civil allegations brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Adani Enterprises has also agreed to pay $275 million to settle allegations concerning violations of US sanctions relating to Iran.

While the criminal case against Gautam Adani has now been dismissed, the judge indicated that he required further information from the Justice Department before deciding whether to dismiss charges against other defendants in the broader case.