US federal judge questions DOJ’s decision to drop Adani charges | Court Affairs

The judge says the DOJ’s reason for dismissing Adani’s charges is unclear, ordering details from prosecutors.

A US federal judge has ordered the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to accept its decision to drop charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.

Friday’s request comes a month after the DOJ said it no longer wants to prosecute. Adani’s attorneys asked U.S. District Judge in Brooklyn Nicholas Garaufis on Wednesday to dismiss the case.

In a written decision filed in court Wednesday, Mr. Garaufis said prosecutors’ notice of withdrawal did not fully explain their decision and gave them a July 13 deadline to submit more information.

“The Government’s short, consistent and final statement gives the court sufficient grounds to reach any decision, or even the opportunity to investigate the Government’s motion to dismiss,” Garaufis said.

Robert Giuffra, Adani’s lawyer, cited a letter he wrote to Mr. Garaufis on Wednesday, saying the case should be dismissed because it was untenable under US law and because the prosecution could not prove bribery in India.

The case was dismissed by the DOJ Enemies have pledged $10bn in the US.

Adani, who is currently the 17th richest person in the world according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index, was indicted in 2024 for agreeing to pay bribes to Indian government officials to secure a contract to build a solar power plant. This came amid other allegations that the company misled US investors about its anti-corruption practices.

Enemies always deny any wrongdoing.

The decision to drop the case in May came after Adani appointed Giuffra, a lawyer who is also one of US President Donald Trump’s lawyers.

A member of Giuffra’s legal team, James McDonald, was also tapped by Trump to be the top attorney in Manhattan. McDonald was also part of a legal team that last month found a favorable outcome for Adani in a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department under President Joe Biden.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg News reported that Adani met with Donald Trump Jr., the son of the US president, in November during the Department of Justice’s investigation. It did not disclose what was discussed in the meeting.