The Modi government is orchestrating a brazen cover-up to shield billionaire ‘friend’ Gautam Adani from U.S. corruption proceedings, warned senior AAP leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj, after revelations that a U.S. court has accused Adani of planning ₹2,200 crore in bribes—part of which was allegedly paid. Calling it “direct interference to protect a crony,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said the Centre’s refusal to serve the U.S. Department of Justice summons for over six months is deliberate, not a lapse, and is inflicting grave damage on India’s global credibility.
In a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that the issue has been widely discussed on Indian social media in recent days. He revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated legal proceedings against Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, in November 2024. A summons was issued on September 21, 2024, directing them to respond within 21 days. The summons was sent to both a U.S. and an Ahmedabad address.
“Remarkably, six months have passed, yet the summons have not reached Adani. The reason? India’s Law and Justice Department, under the Central Government, has not served it. In cases like this, international treaties ensure that governments cooperate in delivering legal documents. But in Adani’s case, the Indian Government has failed to act,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said.
The AAP Delhi Unit Chief, citing the example of the U.S. governance system to illustrate how a country’s institutions should function, said, “In the U.S. even the smallest institution is capable of working independently. One such example, he noted, is that the summons issued to Adani did not come from the U.S. Supreme Court or High Court, but from a small District Court in the country.”
He explained that the summons came from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, not from its Supreme or High Court. The charges relate to corruption and bribery, specifically a scheme to pay ₹2,200 crore in bribes to Indian government officials. The case falls under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act because Adani’s companies—Adani GS Energy Limited and Azure Power Global Limited—sought to raise $750 million for solar power projects, and raised $175 million from U.S. investors, to be invested in the power project with the goal of earning $2 billion in profit over the next 20 years.
“Once U.S. taxpayer money is invested, their laws require that the company cannot engage in corrupt practices anywhere in the world. The U.S. authorities allege that Adani planned to pay $256 (₹2,200 crore) million in bribes, part of which was executed. This is a criminal offence under U.S. law,” said the AAP Delhi Unit Chief.
He criticised the BJP for its double standards: “When an AAP MLA faces a case, the BJP says—go to court, face the investigation, answer the agencies. We are telling Adani the same—go to the U.S. court. But instead, he is avoiding it, and the Modi Government is protecting him, bringing disrepute to India by claiming they ‘cannot find’ Adani to serve the summons.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj linked this case to a larger pattern of allegations over the years—whenever PM Narendra Modi meets foreign leaders, Adani soon receives major contracts in those countries. He cited multiple examples:
•Kenya – After PM Modi met Kenyan PM William Ruto in December 2023, Adani won a $1.85 billion airport lease and a $736 million power transmission line contract. Public protests and whistle-blower revelations of corruption led Kenyan authorities to suspend the contracts in November 2024.
• Sri Lanka – Following PM Modi’s visits in 2015 and 2019, Adani secured a $442 million wind power project. A senior Sri Lankan official told a parliamentary committee that the deal was awarded under pressure from the Indian Government.
• Bangladesh – After Modi’s visits in 2015 and 2021, Adani received a $1.7 billion power supply deal, which faced allegations of irregularities and triggered public protests.
• Similar allegations surfaced in Tanzania, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Iran, and Oman, where Adani obtained large contracts shortly after Modi’s high-level meetings.
“Until now, these were only allegations. But the U.S. Department of Justice summons is evidence—proof that the Modi Government is actively shielding Adani from an ongoing judicial process abroad. This is direct interference to protect a crony from corruption proceedings, and it is deeply damaging to our nation’s credibility,” concluded Saurabh Bharadwaj.
