US judge dismisses criminal case against Gautam Adani

A US judge dismissed criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani on Monday, following the Justice Department's decision to abandon a long-standing fraud and bribery case. Brooklyn-based US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis approved federal prosecutors' request to dismiss the case after seeking clarification on why they wanted to drop the charges.

Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group, expressed his respect for the judicial process and gratitude to those who remained faithful throughout the case. The charges, filed in 2024, alleged that Adani misled American investors about the company's anti-corruption practices. The Justice Department, citing the case as primarily foreign and difficult to prove, declined to pursue prosecution in May.

Senior Justice Department official Trent McCotter dismissed rumors that the decision was linked to Adani's pledge to invest $10 billion in the United States, deeming such reports false. Adani had filed a sworn declaration stating he was unaware of any agreement exchanging anything for the indictment's dismissal.