Daijiworld Media Network – New York

New York, Jun 27: A US judge on Friday directed the Justice Department to explain its decision to drop criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, while declining to immediately dismiss the case as sought by his lawyers.

The order came after Adani’s legal team requested the Brooklyn-based US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis to formally dismiss the charges earlier this week.

Adani was indicted in 2024 on allegations that he agreed to bribe Indian government officials to secure approval for a solar power project involving a subsidiary of the Adani Group and later misled US investors over the company’s anti-corruption practices. The Adani Group has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The US Department of Justice last month informed the court that it would no longer continue the prosecution. However, Judge Garaufis said the government’s explanation was insufficient.

In a written ruling, the judge said prosecutors’ statement that they were abandoning the case did not provide enough reasoning and directed them to submit additional details by July 13.

“The Government's terse, bland and conclusory statement affords the court neither a sufficient basis to reach any conclusion, nor the opportunity to conduct any analysis of the Government's request for dismissal,” Garaufis wrote.

The US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, which filed the case, did not immediately comment on the order.

Adani’s lawyer Robert Giuffra reiterated that the case should be dismissed, arguing that the allegations were beyond the scope of US law and that prosecutors would not be able to prove the alleged bribery took place in India.