India has not received any communication from the United States regarding the legal matter involving the Adani Group and the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated during its weekly briefing.
“This is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the U.S. Department of Justice. Obviously, there are established procedures and legal avenues in such cases which we believe would be followed. The government of India was not informed in advance on the issue,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi, according to NDTV.
“We haven’t also had any conversation on this particular matter with the U.S. government,” Jaiswal added.
He explained that requests from foreign governments for services such as summons or arrest warrants fall under mutual legal assistance and are evaluated on their merits.
“We have not received any request on this case from the U.S. side,” the spokesperson reiterated.
“This is a matter which pertains to a private individual and private entities. The government of India is not a part of it in any manner at this point in time.”
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have filed an indictment and a civil complaint, respectively, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
The Adani Group, however, has clarified that its chairman Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and senior executive Vneet Jaain are not implicated in any bribery allegations.
“Mr. Gautam Adani, Mr. Sagar Adani, and Mr. Vneet Jaain have not been charged with any violation of the FCPA in the counts set forth in the indictment of the U.S. DoJ or the civil complaint of the U.S. SEC,” the Adani Group stated, referring to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
The group emphasized that two of the five counts in the DoJ indictment—conspiracy to violate the FCPA and conspiracy to obstruct justice—do not mention the three executives.
The statement attributed “incorrect and reckless reporting” to a “flawed understanding” of the indictment by both Indian and foreign media outlets, which led to claims of corruption and bribery charges against the Adani directors.
The Adani Group also noted that the indictment relies solely on allegations that bribes were discussed or promised, without presenting evidence that Indian government officials received bribes from its executives.
Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi commented during a press conference, stating, “There’s no detail in the chargesheet about who has been bribed.”
The group further criticized the U.S. legal actions and media reporting, stating they have caused significant damage to the conglomerate.
“The ill-founded U.S. action and reckless false reporting have led to significant repercussions for the Indian conglomerate, such as international project cancellations, financial market impact, and sudden examination from strategic partners, investors, and the public,” the Adani Group said.
