US Court Dismisses Criminal Charges Against Adani Group Chairman

A US federal court has permanently dismissed several criminal charges against Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, prompting a sharp political reaction from India's Leader of the Opposition. Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising India's interests, alleging the country was "paying a huge price" for the development.

The ruling came on August 10, when US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York approved the US Justice Department's request to dismiss three counts of the indictment. The dismissed charges included securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and securities fraud against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani, and former Adani Green Energy CEO Vneet Jaain. The dismissals were made "with prejudice," meaning the same charges cannot be brought again. However, the judge explicitly stated that the dismissal should not be interpreted as a finding that the allegations were unfounded.

Two other counts remain pending. These allege violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and a conspiracy to obstruct justice, involving five India-based defendants who have not appeared before the US court. The...