Adani criminal case: A US federal court has dismissed criminal charges against Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and other defendants, bringing the high-profile case to a permanent close. The charges were dismissed “with prejudice”, meaning the same criminal allegations cannot be brought again.
US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York approved the US Department of Justice’s request to dismiss the indictment. The decision follows the Justice Department’s review of the case and its decision not to devote further resources to the criminal charges.
The criminal case originated from an indictment unsealed in November 2024. US prosecutors had accused Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and other individuals of participating in an alleged scheme involving payments to Indian officials linked to solar power contracts. The defendants had denied the allegations.
The Justice Department initially sought dismissal under Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Judge Garaufis had earlier questioned the department’s initial explanation and sought additional justification for its decision to abandon the prosecution. Court filings show that the department subsequently provided further reasoning for its request.
Reuters reported that the Justice Department had said the case should end partly because of questions surrounding foreign jurisdiction and the prospects of successfully pursuing the prosecution. The department had also stated that it had exercised prosecutorial discretion after reviewing the case.
The phrase “with prejudice” is significant because it prevents the criminal indictment from being revived based on the same allegations. Adani Green Energy had earlier disclosed that the Justice Department was seeking a complete dismissal that would prevent prosecution of the defendants on the same allegations.
Gautam Adani welcomed the court’s decision, saying he respected the judicial process. The dismissal of the criminal case does not automatically mean that every separate legal matter involving the Adanis has ended. A separate civil proceeding involving the US Securities and Exchange Commission remains distinct from the criminal prosecution.
The court’s decision marks a major development in a case that had attracted international attention since the 2024 indictment. With the criminal charges now dismissed with prejudice, the US prosecution based on those allegations has reached its conclusion.
