The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has updated a federal court in New York about its ongoing efforts to serve legal papers to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani. This is part of a civil case linked to alleged bribery and false statements related to a bond offering by Adani Green Energy Limited.
In a letter dated June 27, the SEC told Magistrate Judge James R. Cho that it is trying to serve the summons and complaint through proper legal channels under the Hague Service Convention, an international treaty used for serving legal documents across countries.
The SEC had filed the case in November 2024, claiming that Gautam and Sagar Adani misled investors during a $2 billion bond sale in 2021. The complaint accuses them of being part of a scheme that allegedly involved $265 million in bribes to Indian officials between 2020 and 2024 to win solar energy contracts.
Since both defendants are in India, the SEC cannot directly summon them. Instead, it is working with India’s Ministry of Law and Justice to deliver the documents. So far, Indian courts have not officially served the summons.
The SEC mentioned that they have already sent notices and copies of the lawsuit directly to the Adanis and their lawyers. They are also in contact with India’s Law Ministry and confirmed that the matter had been sent to a Sessions Court in Gujarat, but no official delivery has been completed yet.
The court has now asked the SEC to provide another update by August 11, 2025.
These charges are part of a larger investigation. Apart from the SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice has also filed a separate criminal indictment accusing the Adani Group and others of bribery. An executive from Azure Power Global, Cyril Cabanes, has also been named in this bribery scheme.
In response, the Adani Group has denied all the allegations. The company said it follows all rules and maintains high standards of transparency and compliance. Gautam Adani recently told shareholders that no one in the group is facing charges under U.S. corruption laws or obstruction of justice.
The SEC claims that investors were misled into buying bonds and loans based on false claims about the company’s anti-bribery policies, leading to financial gains of up to $2 billion over 20 years from the allegedly rigged contracts.
As the legal process continues, all eyes are on whether Indian authorities will officially deliver the court summons and what the next steps will be in this international legal case.
