A legal storm is brewing around Gautam Adani, the billionaire head of the Adani Group, one of India’s largest business empires. His team has been secretly meeting with officials from the current US administration led by President Donald Trump, asking for criminal charges against him to be dropped.
The meetings reportedly started earlier this year and have intensified in recent weeks, with hopes that the matter could be resolved within a month.
According to reports, representatives of the group have argued that the case does not match President Trump’s current policy priorities and have requested it be reconsidered.
The case in question is a massive bribery scandal where Gautam Adani, along with his nephew Sagar Adani, is accused of offering $265 million in bribes to Indian state officials. The goal was to secure valuable solar energy contracts for their company.
The bribery charges have attracted the attention of US authorities because the group’s company, Adani Green Energy Ltd, raised $750 million from American investors. Under US law, such actions fall within its jurisdiction, even if the bribery took place overseas. This has led to a high-stakes legal battle that now involves both criminal and civil cases.
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Serious Charges Against Gautam and Sagar Adani
The list of charges against Gautam and Sagar Adani, and their associates is long and serious. US prosecutors have accused them of securities fraud, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The FCPA is a strict American law that bans bribing foreign officials to gain business advantages. Breaking this law can lead to heavy fines and bans from holding leadership positions in public companies.
In addition to the criminal indictment, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a parallel civil case. The SEC claims that Adani Green Energy misled American investors by hiding the $265 million in bribes when it issued bonds worth $750 million. According to US law, failing to disclose such important facts amounts to securities fraud.
The case has even pulled in others. Cyril Cabanes, who previously served on the board of Azure Power Global, has also been listed in the complaint. He is alleged to have played a role in organizing and overseeing the bribery operation while holding positions in both India and abroad.
US authorities are not taking this lightly. They are pushing for strict penalties, including permanent bans on Gautam and Sagar Adani from serving as directors or officers of any publicly listed company. They are also seeking heavy civil fines and other financial penalties.
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Adani Group Denies Allegations and Fights Back
The Adani Group has strongly denied all allegations. In response, Gautam Adani’s team has hired top legal and lobbying firms in the US to defend against the charges and try to settle the matter. One important meeting reportedly took place in March between Adani’s representatives, prosecutors from the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, and officials from the Department of Justice.
Adani’s team has argued that the case does not fit with the priorities of President Trump’s administration and should be dropped. Their legal and lobbying efforts are focused on reducing the legal and financial risks to the Group and its executives.
Meanwhile, Adani Green Energy has also tried to reassure investors. In April, the company stated that its own internal review found no evidence of any rule-breaking or illegal activity. They insist that their business dealings were all above board and that the accusations are unfounded.
Despite these denials, US regulators continue to press for penalties. With secret meetings ongoing and legal pressure building, the battle between one of India’s richest businessmen and US authorities remains intense.
