U.S. SEC seeks help from Law Ministry to serve complaint to Gautam Adani, nephew Sagar in Adani bribery case

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has requested assistance from Indian authorities in its investigation of Adani Group founder Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani over alleged securities fraud and a $265 million bribery scheme, a court filing showed on Tuesday (February 18, 2025).

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The SEC told a New York district court its efforts to serve its complaint to Gautam and Sagar Adani were ongoing and that it is seeking help from the Union Ministry of Law and Justice to serve its complaint to them.

Neither man is in U.S. custody, and they are currently located in India. Adani Group didn't immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Indian government could not be immediately reached outside regular business hours.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he did not discuss the Adani case with U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to Washington, describing it to reporters as an individual issue never discussed by leaders.

The Congress has called for Mr. Adani’s arrest and accused PM Modi of “covering up” Mr. Adani’s deals in the past. BJP and Mr. Adani have denied the charges.

Last year, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn unsealed an indictment accusing Adani of bribing officials to convince them to buy electricity produced by Adani Green Energy, a subsidiary of his Adani Group conglomerate, and then misleading U.S. investors by providing reassuring information about the company’s anti-corruption practices.

Adani Group has called the allegations “baseless” and vowed to seek “all possible legal recourse.”

In January 2025, Adani Green said it had appointed independent law firms to review the U.S. indictment.