Key facts
- The Justice Department wants to drop securities fraud and wire fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.
- Prosecutors argue the case involves primarily foreign conduct with no U.S. companies or national security interests implicated.
- The department contends the case has a small chance of success and should have been dropped earlier or never filed.
- The charges relate to an alleged bribery scheme involving Indian government officials and misleading U.S. investors.
- U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis must approve the dismissal before the charges are formally dropped.
The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to dismiss criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, arguing the case is primarily foreign, difficult to prove, and inconsistent with the agency's current priorities. In a 10-page filing submitted to U.S. District Court, prosecutors stated the case "should have been dropped a year ago or never brought in the first place" and urged the court to permanently dismiss the indictment with prejudice.
Prosecutors contend the alleged conduct occurred in India, involved Indian nationals paying Indian government officials, and had no U.S. companies or national security interests implicated. The charges, filed in 2024 under the Biden administration, accused Adani and others of participating in an alleged $250 million bribery scheme and misleading investors while Adani Green Energy Ltd raised at least $175 million from U.S. investors.
U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis had previously ordered prosecutors to justify their decision to drop the case, describing an earlier request as "terse, bland, and conclusory." Legal experts note that judges have limited discretion to compel prosecutors to continue with cases they no longer wish to pursue, but the charges remain pending until Garaufis officially dismisses them. The Justice Department's move marks another instance of seeking to end a high-profile white-collar prosecution during President Donald Trump's second term.