The SEC’s attempt to serve summons on Gautam Adani in a bribery case faces controversy, with India’s Ministry of Law denying receipt of the request, raising questions about transparency and legal processes.
The controversy surrounding the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and its efforts to serve summons on businessman Gautam Adani has taken a new turn, with conflicting statements emerging over India’s involvement in the process.
On February 18, the SEC informed a U.S. judge that it had reached out to the Indian government for assistance under the Hague Service Convention to serve summons papers on Adani and other defendants in a bribery case. This case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, also involves Sagar Adani (Gautam Adani’s nephew) and Cyril Cabanes, an executive of Azure Power Global Ltd.
The SEC has alleged that Adani and others were involved in a massive bribery scheme, a claim that the Adani Group has strongly denied. This civil suit runs parallel to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
In response to an RTI application filed by The Hindu on February 19, the Ministry of Law and Justice’s Department of Legal Affairs (DLA) replied on March 3, stating: “No such request has been received till date,” as of February 21.
However, this raises key questions:
- Did the DLA receive the SEC’s request after February 21?
- If the request was received, has any action been taken?
- Why did the government’s response only confirm the status as of February 21, when the SEC’s letter to the U.S. judge was dated February 18?
The SEC, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Adani Group have all declined to comment on the latest developments. Given that India and the U.S. are both signatories to the Hague Service Convention, the legal procedure for serving summons should be straightforward. However, the lack of transparency regarding whether India has received and processed the SEC’s request adds to the mystery.
With no official confirmation beyond February 21, the status of the SEC’s request remains uncertain, keeping the legal battle around Adani in global focus.
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