India on Friday stated that the allegations of securities and wire fraud against billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani are strictly a legal matter between private entities and the U.S. government. The government emphasized that it has not received any formal request for a summons from the U.S. authorities in connection with the case.
Last week, Gautam Adani faced charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. These charges accused him of involvement in a “massive bribery scheme” amounting to $250 million, allegedly linked to Indian government officials. The Adani Group dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and categorically denied the accusations.
A summons was issued on November 21 by a New York district judge, demanding that Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, respond to the SEC’s charges within 21 days. The summons was directed to their official addresses in Ahmedabad.
In its first official response to the issue, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) maintained that there is no need for New Delhi to intervene at this stage. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the MEA, clarified during a weekly briefing on November 29, “This is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the U.S. Department of Justice. There are established procedures and legal avenues in such cases which we believe would be followed.” Jaiswal also stated that the Indian government was not informed in advance about the allegations or the legal proceedings.
Regarding the summons, Jaiswal further elaborated, “Any request by a foreign government for service of summons or an arrest warrant is part of mutual legal assistance. Such requests are examined on merits. We have not received any request on this case from the U.S. side.”
The accusations against Gautam Adani have sparked significant political reactions within India. The opposition has been vocal about the need to address the bribery allegations in the ongoing parliamentary session. However, these demands have been repeatedly denied, leading to disruptions in parliamentary proceedings.
The Adani Group continues to strongly reject the charges, maintaining that there is no substance to the claims. In a statement earlier, the conglomerate reiterated its stance, describing the allegations as an attempt to malign its reputation without credible evidence. Meanwhile, the legal developments in the United States are closely monitored by both domestic and international stakeholders.
