US judge asks DOJ why it dropped Adani fraud charges
A US judge is pressing the Justice Department to explain why it suddenly decided to drop fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.
The case, filed in 2024, accused him of bribing officials for a solar project.
Prosecutors said in May they'd stop pursuing the case but didn't give much detail, so Judge Nicholas Garaufis has asked for a clearer explanation by July 13.
Adani denies wrongdoing, US case pending
Adani's lawyers say the US shouldn't be involved at all and insist there's no real evidence.
Adani himself denies any wrongdoing and hasn't shown up in US court.
Earlier, he and his nephew settled civil charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $18 million total, while his company paid $275 million over separate Iran sanctions issues.
For now, since prosecutors haven't officially dismissed the criminal case, it technically still hangs in limbo.