Adani Group will start business in big way in US because allegations have been withdrawn: Senior Advocate HP Ranina
Mumbai, May 19
Senior Advocate HP Ranina on Tuesday said that the Adani Group will start their business in a "big way" in the United States after the US Department of Justice moved to permanently dismiss all alleged criminal fraud charges against industrialist Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani.
Ranina said that the decision will also give a boost to shares of Adani Group.
"The payment has been made without admitting that any offence has been committed. So, this is a normal method of settlement in order that they may now be able to access the American market - both the debt market and the equity market. So, this payment has nothing to do with SEBI because this is an issue which was done by the American authorities," he said.
"In fact, the Department of Justice in America has stated that they have no evidence, and they are withdrawing this case against Adani Group because it would be a waste of money on their part. So, the very fact that they have withdrawn the case itself shows that Adani Group is absolutely in the clear. Therefore, there is no question of SEBI or any other authority probing this matter in India," he added.
The Senior Advocate said the market will now respond positively because "they have been cleared" as the Department of Justice in America has withdrawn the case before the District Court of New York.
"Whatever payment is made is made as a matter of abundant caution in order to avoid any litigation, and this is a normal procedure without admitting that any offence has been committed. This is a very important point. This will give a boost to the shares of Adani. The market will now respond positively because they have been cleared, as the Department of Justice in America has withdrawn the case before the District Court of New York and said that we have no evidence to further proceed in this matter," he said.
"Because there is no evidence, therefore we are withdrawing the case. So, this will actually help the Adani Group shares because it will show that they have been given a clean chit. Even in America, they will start their business in a big way because now allegations have been withdrawn," Ranina said.
The United States Department of Justice has moved to permanently dismiss all alleged criminal fraud charges against billionaire Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani, reported Reuters.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had earlier alleged that Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and others orchestrated an alleged USD 250 million-plus bribery scheme between 2020 and 2024 to secure solar energy contracts in India.
On April 8, the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York had accepted a plea filed by the counsels for Gautam and Sagar Adani for a pre-motion conference to dismiss the case.
The decision to drop the high-profile case comes after the Adani Group has reportedly pledged to invest USD 10 billion into the United States.
Federal prosecutors filed the request in the court, effectively ending the years-long prosecution.
In the court filing, federal prosecutors asked the judge to permanently dismiss the charges. Quoting prosecutors, the Wall Street Journal reported, "The Department of Justice has reviewed this case and has decided, in its prosecutorial discretion, not to devote further resources to these criminal charges against individual defendants."
Earlier, the U.S. SEC had settled the civil lawsuit against Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, subject to court approval. According to media reports, Court documents show that Gautam Adani agreed to pay civil penalties of $6 million, while his nephew Sagar Adani, agreed to pay $12 million. The proposed settlement doesn't include an admission of guilt, said news reports.
In their plea before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York the counsels for Gautam and Sagar Adani had filed for a pre-motion conference to dismiss the case.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I have mixed feelings about this. Yes, the DOJ dropped the case, but the settlement payment - even without admitting guilt - raises questions. Why pay millions if you did nothing wrong? In India, we need more scrutiny on how big business interacts with regulators, both at home and abroad.
Western media always tries to defame Indian businessmen. First it was allegations without proof, now they withdraw because they have no evidence. This just shows the bias against India's growing economic power. Adani Group should now focus on renewable energy projects that benefit our country. ⚡
Mr. Ranina's analysis makes sense. The DOJ clearly stated they don't have evidence, so why waste taxpayer money? This is a win for the Adani Group and for India's business climate. The $10 billion investment in the US will also strengthen bilateral ties. Looking forward to seeing how the market reacts tomorrow.
It's interesting that the settlement payment of $6 million and $12 million was made without admitting guilt. In the US, this is common in corporate cases - it's about avoiding lengthy litigation costs. But in the Indian context, I think SEBI should still review everything independently. Transparency builds trust, na?
First they accuse, then they withdraw because of 'no evidence'. Typical bullying tactics against Indian companies. The way the US DOJ handles cases sometimes seems politically motivated. But good for Adani bhai - now they can expand globally and put India on the world business map. Jai Hind! 🚀
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