Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Gautam Adani Welcomes US Court Decision To Dismiss Criminal Charges
Gautam Adani is a very important businessman who runs a huge company in India called the Adani Group.
The government of the United States accused him of secretly giving money to officials in India to win big contracts for making electricity from the sun.
That meant he was in trouble and could face serious charges.
Then the US government decided that the case was too weak and asked a judge to drop it.
A judge in New York agreed, and the charges went away.
Mr Adani was very happy and said he always believed that truth and fairness would win.
The US government said the case was mostly about India, and India should handle its own problems.
Some people wondered if Mr Adani promised to build things in America to make the case go away, but the judge said no, that is not why it was dropped.
Mr Adani said he will keep working to build things for his country.
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani welcomed a US court's decision to dismiss criminal charges against him, saying he had 'deep respect for the judicial process.'
Brooklyn federal judge Nicholas Garaufis approved the dismissal of charges linked to an alleged $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials for solar energy supply contracts.
The US Department of Justice argued the case 'should never have been brought,' saying it was legally weak, centred largely on India, and that 'India can better manage its internal systems.'
Judge Garaufis concluded the Adani Group's reported $10 billion US investment pledge did not influence the dismissal, but he called the DOJ's handling of the case 'highly unusual.'
Charges were also dropped against Gautam Adani's nephew Sagar Adani, whose securities fraud charges the DOJ said lacked a sound legal foundation.
- Who
- Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, and his nephew Sagar Adani; US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis; and the US Department of Justice.
- What
- A US federal court dismissed criminal fraud and bribery charges against Gautam and Sagar Adani, ending a case over an alleged $265 million bribery scheme tied to Indian solar energy contracts.
- When
- The judge approved the dismissal on Monday, August 10, 2026; Adani responded publicly on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
- Where
- US District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, New York.
- Why
- The US Justice Department moved to drop the charges, arguing the case was legally weak, centred largely on India, and no longer served the interests of justice.
Dismissal Supporters (Adani & DOJ)
Critics of the Dismissal Process
Whether the case should have been brought
Dismissal Supporters (Adani & DOJ)
The DOJ argued the charges 'should never have been brought,' saying the case was legally weak, centred largely on India, and that 'India can better manage its internal systems than can prosecutors in Brooklyn and Washington.'
Critics of the Dismissal Process
Judge Garaufis criticised the process, calling it 'highly unusual' for a senior DOJ official to decide to drop the charges largely in collaboration with defence counsel, seemingly without input from FBI and SEC investigators and the prosecutors who brought the case.
Role of the $10 billion investment pledge
Dismissal Supporters (Adani & DOJ)
The DOJ and Judge Garaufis said the reported $10 billion US investment pledge did not influence the decision to drop the charges; DOJ official R Trent McCotter wrote that 'the mention of potential investments could not have played any role.'
Critics of the Dismissal Process
Reports said Adani's lawyer Robert Giuffra had told DOJ officials that Adani would invest $10 billion in the US if the charges were dropped, and the judge himself questioned whether the pledge influenced the decision before concluding it did not.
US jurisdiction over conduct centred in India
Dismissal Supporters (Adani & DOJ)
The DOJ said the case was overwhelmingly connected to India and that 'the United States pretending to be the world police can cause diplomatic strife and also wastes resources better spent on domestic concerns.'
Critics of the Dismissal Process
US prosecutors had originally brought the charges in 2024, alleging the bribery scheme linked to Indian solar contracts also misled US investors, which the Justice Department's dismissal request set aside.
- Defendant
- Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group
- Charges
- Fraud and bribery over alleged $265 million scheme for Indian solar energy contracts
- Court
- US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn
- Dismissal Date
- Monday, August 10, 2026
- Judge
- Nicholas Garaufis
- Co-Defendant
- Sagar Adani (nephew)
- Adani's Lawyer
- Robert Giuffra (also US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer)
- Investment Pledge
- Reported $10 billion US investment pledge; judge ruled it did not influence the dismissal
Sources
'Deep Respect For Judicial Process': Gautam Adani Welcomes US Court's Decision To Dismiss Charges
Gautam Adani Welcomes US Court Decision To Dismiss Charges Against Him
'Deep Respect for the Judicial Process': Gautam Adani Welcomes US Court Decision To Dismiss Charges Against Him
