Senior lawyer and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on Wednesday dismantled allegations against Adani Group founder Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani in the US Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment, stressing that the Adanis have not been named in key bribery or obstruction of justice charges.
“Neither Gautam Adani nor Sagar Adani is mentioned under Count 1 or Count 5, the most critical charges,” Rohatgi said in his ‘personal capacity’, adding that claims suggesting otherwise are “simply incorrect.”
Rohatgi further pointed out that the DOJ indictment lacks specific details or evidence tying the Adani Group to bribery. “There is no mention of who was bribed, how they were bribed, or any direct involvement by Adani officials,” he said.
“In Count 5, which deals with obstruction of justice, neither the Adanis nor their officers are named—only some foreign individuals are mentioned. In this case, there is no such evidence against the Adanis. I can’t see a single name, in which manner they were bribed, which department they belong to.”
“I am confident they will seek legal advice from American lawyers to address these claims.”
He also noted that the allegations rely on an intent to bribe rather than any documented actions, calling the accusations speculative.
Adding weight to the defense, senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani slammed the indictment as speculative and lacking evidence.
“There is no allegation of bribery in India. The charge only speaks of a conspiracy to bribe, with no tangible proof,” Jethmalani stated. He explained that the case revolves around bond issuances by Adani Green Energy, where the DOJ claims bondholders were not informed of potential violations. “This is an inference, not evidence. No infraction of Indian law is cited,” he added.
DOJ indictment accuses Azure Power Global Ltd. and CDPQ officials of conspiring to obstruct justice and engaging in bribery schemes. However, Rohatgi clarified, “Neither the Adanis nor their officers are named in these counts. The charges pertain to other foreign entities.”
The Adani Group has called reports linking them to bribery baseless, asserting its commitment to seeking legal recourse and challenging the allegations in court. Gautam Adani, Adani Green Energy Ltd. Executive Director Sagar Adani, and CEO Vneet Jain have not been named in bribery charges in the indictment filed by the US Department of Justice, according to a statement from Adani Green Energy on Wednesday.
The company dismissed news reports alleging that Adani officials were charged under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) as inaccurate.
The indictment instead names senior executives from Azure Power Global Ltd. and CDPQ, who are accused of violating FCPA provisions. According to Adani Green, the DOJ filing alleges these executives conspired to obstruct investigations into the bribery scheme.