US Regulators Blame Indian Authorities for Delay in Serving Summons to Gautam Adani in Bribery Case
A major legal battle involving Indian billionaire Gautam Adani in a New York federal court is being held up by significant procedural delays, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) blaming Indian authorities for failing to serve formal summons to the tycoon and his associates. In its latest status report filed on August 11, the American market regulator informed the court that procedural hurdles within India, governed by the Hague Service Convention, have stalled progress in the high-profile civil lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed last year in the Eastern District of New York, accuses Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and others of violating US securities laws. The charges are linked to an alleged scheme to pay approximately $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure lucrative solar power contracts.
US prosecutors argue that this information was concealed from American investors and banks when the Adani Group was raising billions for the energy projects. The Adani Group has consistently and vehemently denied all allegations, dismissing them as “baseless.”
The SEC’s court filings reveal a timeline of frustration. As far back as February, the agency had formally requested assistance from India’s Ministry of Law and Justice to serve the summons. However, months later, the process remains incomplete. According to earlier reports, the ministry had forwarded the request to a court in Ahmedabad, but the SEC has yet to receive confirmation that the summons has actually been issued.
In its most recent update, the SEC confirmed it is still in communication with the Indian Law Ministry but stated that as of August 11, Indian authorities “have not yet effected service” despite the ongoing correspondence. As a parallel measure, the SEC has also sent “Notices of Lawsuit and Requests for Waiver of Service of Summons” directly to Adani’s legal counsel in India.
This civil action by the SEC runs parallel to a criminal prosecution, with both stemming from the same core allegations detailed in an indictment unsealed in a New York court on November 22, 2024. That indictment charged Adani and others with bribery and fraud, detailing a scheme allegedly running from 2020 to 2024 to win solar power contracts from Indian state electricity companies. The US claims jurisdiction because the alleged deception was used to mislead American financial institutions and investors.
