India paying huge price: Rahul Gandhi targets PM after US dismisses Adani case
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a US federal
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a US federal court permanently dismissed criminal charges against Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani. Gandhi claimed the development indicated that there was "much more to this than meets the eye" and said that a "compromised PM" had been forced to "sell India's interest". Read Full Story "India is paying a huge price," Gandhi said in a post on X, sharing a media report on the US court's decision to approve the Justice Department's request to dismiss the charges against the Adani Group executives. The remarks came after US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York approved the US Justice Department's request to permanently dismiss several criminal charges against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and former Adani Green Energy CEO Vneet Jaain.
The decision removes a major legal overhang that had hung over the Adani Group for nearly two years. However, the court did not rule on the merits of the allegations against the defendants. In a 47-page order issued on August 10, Garaufis granted the Justice Department's request under Rule 48(a) to dismiss Counts Two, Three and Four of the indictment. The charges related to securities-fraud conspiracy, wire-fraud conspiracy and securities fraud. The dismissals were made with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be brought again. The judge, however, reserved judgment on two other counts: one alleging violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and another alleging conspiracy to obstruct justice. These counts involve five India-based defendants who have not appeared before the US court. The Justice Department has until August 31 to meet requirements set by the court, while lawyers representing the non-appearing defendants have also been directed to confirm their clients' consent by the same date.
The judge also made clear that the dismissal did not amount to a finding that the allegations were unfounded. "No one should mistake" the order for the court's agreement with the government's decision or an opinion on the merits of the allegations, Garaufis said in his order. No trial took place in the case, meaning witnesses were not examined and the evidence was not tested in court. The Adani Group has repeatedly denied the allegations and maintained that it complied with all applicable laws. The Justice Department had sought dismissal of the charges in May following an extensive review. It cited jurisdictional and evidentiary difficulties, the predominantly India-based nature of the alleged conduct, scrutiny of the matter by Indian authorities and the absence of identified investor losses. The department also said continuing the prosecution no longer aligned with its priorities.
The BriefWire