US judge drops fraud and bribery case against Gautam Adani, rebukes Justice Department
A Brooklyn federal judge dismissed fraud and bribery charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani at the Trump administration Justice Department's request, while sharply criticizing how prosecutors handled the case.
US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis dismissed fraud and bribery charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani on August 10, 2026, after the Trump administration Justice Department asked to abandon the case. Garaufis granted the request but sharply criticized the DOJ's handling, and declined to dismiss charges against some co-defendants.
A US federal judge on Monday dismissed criminal fraud and bribery charges against Gautam Adani, India's richest man, after the Justice Department asked to abandon the case. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis, sitting in Brooklyn, granted the prosecutors' request — but sharply criticized the department's handling of the matter, describing aspects of a senior DOJ official's conduct as highly unusual. He declined to dismiss charges against some of Adani's co-defendants. The case began with a 2024 indictment in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, which charged Adani and seven executives of Adani Group and its affiliates. Prosecutors alleged a scheme to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to Indian government officials and to conceal the payments. The Adani Group has denied wrongdoing. Charges are not convictions, and the allegations were never tested at trial. The dismissal, sought by the Justice Department under the Trump administration, closes one of the most prominent US prosecutions of a foreign business leader. Garaufis's rebuke, and reports that the department cited foreign policy considerations, leave open questions about why the case was dropped.
Judge dismisses charges against Adani at Justice Department's request
A US federal judge in Brooklyn on Monday, August 10, 2026, dismissed criminal fraud and bribery charges against Gautam Adani, the Indian billionaire described as India's richest man. US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis granted the request after the Justice Department, under the Trump administration, moved to abandon the case.
The ruling did not extend to everyone charged alongside Adani. Judge Garaufis declined to dismiss charges against some of his co-defendants, leaving parts of the case alive even as its central figure walked free.
The Adani Group has denied wrongdoing throughout the proceedings. The dismissal means the allegations against Adani will not be tested at trial, and it bears repeating that the charges were accusations, not convictions. No court found Adani guilty of any offence, and the decision to end the case came from prosecutors themselves rather than from any judicial finding on the merits of the evidence.
Garaufis faults prosecutors' conduct even as he grants dismissal
Judge Nicholas Garaufis granted the dismissal but made clear his displeasure with how the Justice Department reached that point. He criticised the department's handling of the case, describing aspects of a senior DOJ official's conduct as highly unusual.
According to reports, Garaufis called the decision to abandon the fraud and bribery case concerning. Reports also indicate he ordered Adani to answer questions about whether the dismissal involved a quid pro quo — an uncommon step for a judge being asked to end a prosecution. The Justice Department, reports say, cited foreign policy considerations in moving to drop the case.
One lawyer told reporters the judge's questioning was unlikely to block the dismissal, noting there is little precedent for courts forcing prosecutors to continue a case the department wants dropped. The Adani Group has denied wrongdoing.
The 2024 indictment alleging a bribery scheme
The case dates to 2024, when federal prosecutors filed an indictment in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Gautam Adani and seven executives of Adani Group and its affiliates. The indictment alleged a scheme to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to Indian government officials and to conceal those payments. According to reports, the charges were structured as a five-count indictment, and the alleged bribery was connected to a solar project, though both points have been reported rather than independently confirmed. The Adani Group has denied wrongdoing throughout. The charges were allegations only; they were never proven in court, and an indictment is not a conviction.
Conflicting accounts and what remains unresolved
Accounts of the case's timeline differ. Some reports say the Justice Department announced in May that it had already dismissed the foreign bribery and securities fraud charges against Adani. The established account, however, holds that prosecutors moved to abandon the case and that the judge granted that request on Monday, August 10, 2026. The two versions cannot both be read as describing a single event, and the discrepancy remains unresolved.
The move to drop the prosecution was made by the Justice Department under the Trump administration. According to some reports, the department cited foreign policy considerations, though this has not been confirmed.
Whether judicial scrutiny could have altered the outcome is also in doubt. One lawyer said Judge Garaufis's questioning was unlikely to block the dismissal, noting there is little precedent for courts forcing prosecutors to continue a case the Justice Department wants dropped.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the Adani case in the US?
A US federal judge dismissed criminal fraud and bribery charges against Gautam Adani on Monday, August 10, 2026. The dismissal came after the US Justice Department, under the Trump administration, asked to abandon the case, and the judge granted the prosecutors' request. The judge declined to dismiss charges against some of Adani's co-defendants. The Adani Group has denied wrongdoing.
Who is the judge who dismissed the Adani charges?
The dismissal was issued by US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis, a Brooklyn-based district judge in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The judge's identity is attributed to reporting on the ruling. Garaufis granted the Justice Department's request to drop the case against Adani while declining to dismiss charges against some co-defendants.
What were the charges against Gautam Adani?
A 2024 federal indictment in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York charged Gautam Adani and seven executives of Adani Group and its affiliates. It alleged a scheme to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to Indian government officials and to conceal the payments. Reports link the alleged bribery to a solar project, though that detail should be attributed to the sources reporting it.
Did the judge criticize the Justice Department over the Adani dismissal?
Yes. Judge Garaufis sharply criticized the Justice Department's handling of the case while granting the dismissal, describing aspects of a senior DOJ official's conduct as highly unusual. According to reports, the judge called the decision to abandon the case concerning and ordered Adani to answer questions about whether the dismissal involved a quid pro quo. Those specific points are attributed to the outlets reporting them.
Why did the Justice Department drop the Adani case?
According to reports, the Justice Department cited foreign policy considerations in moving to drop the case against Adani. The move was made under the Trump administration. A lawyer said the judge's questioning was unlikely to block the dismissal, noting little precedent for courts forcing prosecutors to continue a case the DOJ wants dropped. These points are attributed to the sources reporting them, not independently confirmed.
Compiled from reporting by 12 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
