A US federal judge has formally closed the bribery and fraud case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, bringing an end to a high-profile legal battle that had drawn attention across India and the United States.
The decision came after the Trump administration moved to abandon allegations that Adani and others were involved in a US$265 million (approximately RM1.08 billion) scheme involving alleged bribes to Indian officials in connection with lucrative solar energy contracts.
Brooklyn federal judge Nicholas Garaufis formally approved prosecutors’ request to dismiss the case, according to court filings. The allegations had been filed in 2024 and had placed one of India’s most powerful business figures at the centre of a major US legal controversy.
The case attracted even greater attention because Adani is represented by attorney Robert Giuffra, who also serves as a personal lawyer to US President Donald Trump.
According to US media reports, Giuffra told Justice Department officials in April that Adani would be prepared to invest US$10 billion in the US economy if the charges against him were dropped.
That reported investment pledge became an important point of discussion in court.
Judge Garaufis had previously questioned whether the proposed investment played a role in the government’s decision to abandon the prosecution. While the judge ultimately determined that the investment pledge was not part of the formal prosecutorial decision-making process, he expressed serious concerns about how the dismissal was handled.
Garaufis was particularly critical of the involvement of Trump-appointed Deputy Associate Attorney General Trent McCotter.
In his ruling, the judge described the process as highly unusual, noting that McCotter appeared to have reached the decision largely through discussions with defence lawyers rather than through the normal involvement of investigators and prosecutors who had worked on the case.
The criticism highlights the unusual circumstances surrounding the collapse of a case that had once represented a significant legal challenge for Adani.
The Adani Group is one of India’s largest and most influential business conglomerates, with interests spanning ports, energy, infrastructure, cement and media.
Gautam Adani, one of India’s wealthiest businessmen, has faced intense scrutiny in recent years following allegations of corporate misconduct and a dramatic decline in the value of several Adani-linked stocks.
Despite the controversy, Adani has remained a prominent supporter of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both men have roots in Gujarat, Modi’s home state, and their political and business associations have frequently attracted international attention.
Following the US court’s decision, Adani welcomed the dismissal and said he respected the judicial process.
He said that throughout the difficult period, his belief in truth, fairness and the rule of law had remained unchanged.
The conclusion of the case marks a major turning point for Adani, but the circumstances surrounding the dismissal are likely to continue attracting scrutiny. The judge’s criticism of the government’s handling of the prosecution also raises broader questions about transparency, prosecutorial independence and the unusual factors that can influence major federal cases.
For Adani, however, the immediate outcome is clear: the US graft case that threatened to become one of the most significant legal challenges of his business career has now been formally brought to an end.
Source: AFP
