A U.S. federal judge has dismissed criminal charges of fraud and bribery against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after the Department of Justice decided to abandon the case. The decision ends a blockbuster securities fraud probe that had threatened the expansion of Adani's giant conglomerate.
Brooklyn-based district judge Nicholas Garaufis approved the request to dismiss the graft charges, which were brought under the Trump administration. While the charges against Adani were tossed, the judge refused to dismiss charges against some co-defendants.
Judge Garaufis characterized the Justice Department's decision to drop the charges as highly unusual and criticized the department's handling of the case. The judge inquired into the reasons for the dismissal, specifically asking whether anything had been promised in exchange for dropping the case.
Adani has denied any wrongdoing. In November 2024, before the charges were unsealed, he had promised to invest $10 billion in the United States.