Published Aug 11, 2026 | 10:37 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 11, 2026 | 10:37 AM
Billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani (Supplied)
The Criminal charges against Gautam Adani in a fraud and bribery case before the US court have been dismissed, but only after the judge termed the Justice Department’s decision to make the request to drop the charges concerning.
District Judge Nicholas G Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York, in his 47-page order, found many important elements in the case to be legally dubious. The judge also stated that he did not believe Adani’s promise to invest $10 billion played a part in the Justice Department’s decision to withdraw the case.
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But the judge rapped Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter for “his singular judgment” while collaborating with Adani’s defence lawyers to dismiss the charges without the opinion of the prosecutors or agents investigating the case, Reuters reported.
“The irregularities in the decision to dismiss the indictment are concerning,” Garaufis wrote. “McCotter appears to have eschewed the professional opinions of innumerable officials from various federal offices and replaced them with his singular judgment.”
McCotter, according to court filings, had blamed the previous Justice Department for filing the politically motivated case during his arguments. Judge Garaufis called the argument baseless and “unbecoming of his office.”
Gautam Adani welcomed the judge’s decision “with humility and deep respect for the judicial process”.
“Throughout this challenging period, our faith in truth, fairness and the rule of law remained unwavering. My deepest gratitude to those who never lost faith in us, in the system and in India’s capacity for justice. We will continue doing what matters: building for our nation, creating value that outlasts us and serving a purpose larger than ourselves,” he posted on X.
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