US judge drops criminal charges against billionaire Gautam Adani
A US judge on dismissed criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani. (File Photo)A US judge has dismissed the criminal case against billionaire Gautam Adani, ending a legal fight that began in 2024. According to Reuters, the judge agreed to the Justice Department’s request to drop the fraud and bribery charges, but expressed concerns about the move.
Brooklyn-based US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis made the ruling on Monday. Before agreeing to end the case, he asked prosecutors detailed questions about why they wanted it dropped. He also asked whether Adani’s earlier promise to invest $10 billion in the United States played any part in the decision.
Why did the Justice Department drop the case?
Reuters reports that the case is one of several high-profile white-collar prosecutions the Justice Department has dropped during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Justice Department official Trent McCotter said he chose to drop the charges after meeting with Adani’s lawyers and other officials, and then carrying out his own review. In a court filing dated July 4, he described the case as mostly a foreign matter, difficult to prove, and out of step with current department priorities. He also denied that Gautam Adani said he welcomed the court’s decision and respected the judicial process.
I welcome the US court’s decision with humility and deep respect for the judicial process.
Throughout this challenging period, our faith in truth, fairness and the rule of law remained unwavering.
My deepest gratitude to those who never lost faith in us, in the system and in…
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) August 10, 2026
What did the judge say?
Judge Garaufis said he accepted that the investment pledge did not affect the department’s decision. He also noted that courts have only a limited role in reviewing choices made by federal prosecutors.
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Even so, he criticised how McCotter handled the case, saying he worked directly with Adani’s defence lawyers and left out the prosecutors and investigators who had built the case. In his written ruling, the judge said, “The irregularities in the decision to dismiss the indictment are concerning.”
Garaufis added that his decision to dismiss the case should not be read as approval of the Justice Department’s reasoning, or as a judgement on whether the original charges had merit. He has asked the department for more information before deciding what happens to other defendants named in the case.
What was Adani accused of?
Adani was charged in 2024 with paying bribes to Indian officials to win approval for a solar energy project, then giving misleading information to US investors about his company’s anti-corruption record. The Adani Group has always denied any wrongdoing, and Adani has not appeared in a US court over the charges.
Meanwhile, Adani agreed to pay $6 million and his nephew Sagar Adani agreed to pay $12 million to settle related civil claims from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Adani Enterprises also agreed to pay $275 million to the US Treasury to resolve claims linked to Iran sanctions.
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Did Adani’s investment pledge play a role?
In a sworn statement filed on 15 July, Adani confirmed he had earlier promised to invest $10 billion in the US. He said his lawyers told the Justice Department this pledge could form part of a resolution to the case.
Adani’s lawyer, Robert Giuffra, said in a separate filing that the defence team told the Justice Department the Adani Group was open to following through on the investment as part of a settlement.
Judge Garaufis said he was not ruling on whether these repeated offers were appropriate. He wrote that it is “up to the public to decide” what effect such offers have on the fair application of the law.
