Adani bribery summons delay exposes Delhi‑India legal stall.

Modi Govt Sits on Adani Bribery Summons

• 6 Months, No Action on Adani SEC Notice

• Adani Bribery Probe Stuck in Delhi Silence

• ₹2,029 Cr Solar Scam: Summons Undelivered

Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098

The US SEC says India’s Modi government has not delivered bribery case summons to Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani, and the Adani Group after six months. The ₹2,029 crore bribery allegations involve securing solar contracts via SECI. Delays under the Hague Service Convention raise concerns over corporate accountability.

Adani bribery summons delay slows a high‑stakes legal probe as the Modi government fails to serve US SEC notices for six months, raising concerns over transparency.

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High-Profile Adani Bribery Case Stalls Over Summons Delivery

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC) has informed a New York federal court that, despite six months of requests, the Government of India has yet to deliver summons to Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and the Adani Group in an alleged multi-crore bribery and securities fraud case. The SEC, in its August 11 filing, revealed it sought assistance from India’s Ministry of Law & Justice (MoLJ) under the Hague Service Convention, but the documents remain undelivered.

According to court records, the indictment—filed on November 20, 2024—accuses the Adani Group of paying bribes worth ₹2,029 crore to secure solar power contracts through the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The charges include bribery, securities fraud, wire fraud, and violations of multiple sections of the US Securities Act. The alleged scheme also involved high-level state officials across Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

SEC Alleges Bribes for Solar Energy Contracts

The US SEC’s complaint claims Adani Green Energy Ltd., the group’s renewable energy arm, misled US investors about its involvement in a “complex and high-value bribery scheme” tied to a $750 million bond issuance in 2021. Between December 2019 and July 2020, SECI awarded tenders for 12 gigawatts of solar energy at pre-set prices. When states were reluctant to purchase electricity at those rates, Adani Group and Azure Power allegedly colluded to pay bribes to secure Power Sale Agreements (PSAs) with state governments.

Court documents detail that ₹1,750 crore of the alleged bribes went to Andhra Pradesh officials, including the state’s then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Meetings with government representatives from several other states were allegedly arranged to push through SECI agreements. The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) reviewed filings indicating these actions directly benefited Adani Green’s project pipeline and financial outlook presented to investors.

Also Read:   ED Probes Money Laundering in ₹60 Crore PNB Loan Scam.

Delays in Serving Summons Under Hague Convention

The SEC first sought Indian cooperation in February 2025, forwarding summons to an Ahmedabad court for delivery to Gautam Adani and others. However, six months later, the summons remain undelivered. The SEC noted that Rule 4(f) of the US Federal Rules of Civil Procedure imposes no time limit for serving foreign defendants but requires adherence to international service treaties like the Hague Service Convention.

Despite also sending Notices of Lawsuit and Requests for Waiver of Service directly to the defendants and their counsel, the SEC said Indian authorities have “not yet effected service.” The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) found that this delay is unusual in high-profile cross-border corporate crime cases and could impact the trial timeline.

Global Scrutiny and Potential Political Fallout

This case has drawn international attention not just for its scale, but for the alleged involvement of one of India’s most powerful business groups in a corruption scandal with geopolitical implications. US prosecutors are also pursuing a separate case under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), though its enforcement scope has been debated after changes under the Trump administration.

With the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other Indian agencies facing questions about domestic investigations into Adani Group dealings, the unresolved summons delivery is likely to intensify scrutiny on the Modi government’s handling of corporate accountability. The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) will continue tracking both US and Indian legal proceedings, as the outcome could set a precedent for international enforcement of anti-bribery laws in India’s rapidly growing renewable energy sector.