An arrest warrant against Indian industrialist Gautam Adani was made public in a New York court in October 2024, following his indictment on charges of bribery and fraud. According to court documents, the warrant was unsealed on October 31, 2024, by order of Judge Robert M. Levy, with the intent to share the details with foreign law enforcement authorities.
The unsealing of the indictment and arrest warrant came after an application by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Under American legal standards, arrest warrants are typically issued unless there is a strong likelihood that the accused will voluntarily present themselves in court.
The allegations against Adani, his nephew, and six others revolve around the payment of $265 million (approximately Rs 2,029 crore) in bribes to Indian government officials. These payments were reportedly made between 2020 and 2024 to secure lucrative solar power contracts with state electricity distribution companies in India.
US prosecutors claimed that these alleged bribes were concealed from American investors and financial institutions, from which the Adani Group had raised substantial funds for its solar energy projects.
The group reportedly aimed to generate over $2 billion in profit from these projects over two decades. While the bribery claims involve Indian officials, the case falls under US jurisdiction because of the involvement of American investors and financial markets.
Central to the case is a contract awarded to Adani Green Energy and Azure Power for supplying 12 gigawatts of solar-generated electricity to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a government-owned entity. However, SECI faced challenges in finding buyers for the high-priced solar power, risking the viability of the agreement.
In response, Adani and Azure Power allegedly collaborated to pay bribes to state government officials in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir to secure contracts with state electricity boards.
The Adani Group has refuted the allegations, describing them as baseless, and has stated its intention to address the matter through legal channels.
