US court seeks more Department of Justice (DOJ) clarity before dismissing Adani criminal case

NEW YORK: The US District Court's request for further clarification from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on its motion to dismiss the indictment against Gautam and Sagar Adani is a routine procedural step, and judges rarely reject such requests, according to US lawyer Adam Goldberg.

US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis asked the DOJ to provide a more detailed explanation after finding its May 18 filing insufficient to justify dropping the case.

Goldberg said that while a judge must approve a DOJ motion to dismiss, courts rarely deny such requests. He noted that the DOJ has broad discretion over prosecution decisions, and a judge cannot compel it to continue a case. If a judge were to reject the motion, the decision could be appealed and would likely be overturned.

He added that the DOJ will likely submit additional information to satisfy the court's concerns, after which the judge is expected to approve the dismissal.

Earlier, the DOJ decided to permanently drop all criminal charges against Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani in the alleged securities and wire fraud case in New York, concluding it could not sustain the allegations. The Adani Group has maintained that the case was legally flawed.

In a June 24, 2026 letter to the court, the company argued that the transactions involved non-US issuers, were governed by English law, and fell outside the scope of US securities law under the Supreme Court's ruling in Morrison v. National Australia Bank. It also contended that the bribery allegations lacked merit and noted that there were no investor losses, with all bond and loan obligations either repaid or in good standing. (ANI)

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