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U.S. court drops criminal charges against Adani
The move brought to an end nearly two years of proceedings in an alleged fraud and bribery case.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 11, Aug 2026
- 00:03 EDT
- 28
GAUTAM ADANI / GAUTAM ADANI VIA X
A U.S. judge on Aug. 10 dismissed criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after the Justice Department decided to abandon the fraud and bribery case.
Brooklyn-based District Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Monday approved the Justice Department's request to dismiss the charges against the two Adani Group executives, Sagar Adani and former Adani Green CEO Vneet Jaain.
ALSO READ: Adani’s proposed $10 billion investment in US a ‘game-changer’: Indian American leader
But the judge refused to dismiss two of the counts against five other co-defendants, saying the Department of Justice (DOJ) had failed to provide him with a sufficient reason for doing so.
The move brought to an end nearly two years of proceedings in an alleged fraud and bribery case.
Adani was indicted in 2024 by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn over his alleged role in a sweeping fraud and bribery scheme. He was accused of defrauding U.S. investors and paying off Indian government officials to win a bid to develop the country's largest solar power plant.
The DOJ said in May it would no longer pursue the case.
The judge inquired into the DOJ's decision, including whether Adani's November 2024 promise to invest $10 billion in the United States was a factor in the decision to drop the charges.
On Nov. 13, 2024, Adani congratulated the then-president-elect again and announced his commitment to invest $10 billion in the United States.
In dismissing the charges against Adani, Garaufis said he was satisfied that the investment pledge did not factor into the Justice Department's decision, and acknowledged that judges' role in reviewing federal prosecutors' decisions to drop charges was limited.
In the 47-page ruling, Garaufis, however, said the Justice Department's decision to abandon the fraud and bribery case was concerning.
Garaufis criticized Trent McCotter, the principal associate deputy attorney general, who he said bears sole responsibility for trying to dismiss the case.
"The irregularities in the decision to dismiss the indictment are concerning," Garaufis wrote.
"On the current record, McCotter appears to have eschewed the professional opinions of innumerable officials from various federal offices and replaced them with his singular judgment.
"The fact that McCotter came to this decision largely in collaboration with defense counsel, and seemingly without input from the FBI and SEC agents who investigated the alleged misconduct, or the attorneys from the Department, SEC, and U.S. Attorney's Office who brought the case, appears to be highly unusual."
In a statement posted on X, Gautam Adani said, "I welcome the U.S. Court's decision with humility and deep respect for the judicial process."
I welcome the US court’s decision with humility and deep respect for the judicial process.
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) August 10, 2026
Throughout this challenging period, our faith in truth, fairness and the rule of law remained unwavering.
My deepest gratitude to those who never lost faith in us, in the system and in…
"My deepest gratitude to those who never lost faith in us, in the system and in India's capacity for justice," Adani wrote. "We will continue doing what matters: building for our nation, creating value that outlasts us and serving a purpose larger than ourselves."
Last week, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission moved to drop fraud charges against Adani and his nephew Sagar in a separate civil case after they agreed to pay a combined settlement of $18 million.
The agreement, which did not include any admission or denial of the allegations, barred the Adanis from future violations of key U.S. anti-fraud laws covering investor deception, securities fraud and market manipulation.
Separately, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Monday that Adani Enterprises had agreed to settle a civil case against the firm for allegedly violating sanctions placed by the U.S. on Iran.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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