Gautam Adani in Trouble? Law Ministry Directs Gujarat Court To Deliver US SEC Summons to Adani Group Chairman in Bribery Case, Says Report

New Delhi, March 13: The Union Law Ministry has forwarded a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) summons to an Ahmedabad court for service on industrialist Gautam Adani, The Hindu reported. The summons, sent under the Hague Convention on Service of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents, 1965, pertains to allegations of securities fraud and a USD 265 million bribery scheme involving Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani.

The SEC, in coordination with federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, has accused the two executives of Adani Green Ltd of concealing millions in bribes to Indian officials to secure lucrative energy contracts. The lawsuit is currently pending at the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. What PM Narendra Modi Replied To Reporter on Question About Gautam Adani at Press Conference in US (Video).

Government sources confirmed that India is obligated under the Hague Convention to assist in serving legal notices from signatory nations, including the US. The Hindu reported that the SEC had requested the Indian government’s assistance in February, and by February 25, the summons had been forwarded to an Ahmedabad sessions court for service at Adani’s local address. Gautam Adani Breaks Silence on US Fraud Charges, Says ‘Every Attack Makes Us Stronger, Every Obstacle Becomes Stepping Stone for More Resilient Adani Group’.

However, the Department of Legal Affairs (DLA), which operates under the Union Law Ministry, had initially denied receiving such a request. In response to an RTI filed by The Hindu on February 19, the DLA claimed on March 3 that it had not received any SEC request as of February 21, despite the summons having already reached the Gujarat court.

Despite legal uncertainties, the Adani Group is reportedly hopeful that the Trump administration’s decision to pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), 1977, will ease pressure. According to The Financial Times, the group has resumed scouting business opportunities in the US, anticipating a more lenient regulatory approach under President Donald Trump.

(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Mar 13, 2025 05:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).