Federal prosecutors’ move comes as billionaire Gautam Adani and his Adani Group work to close multiple US investigations, amid broader changes to the justice system under the Trump administration, which has rolled back several Biden-era cases.
Earlier, Adani Enterprises agreed to pay $275 million to the US Treasury to settle a separate probe related to alleged Iran sanctions violations.
Last week, the US Securities and Exchange Commission also settled a fraud case against the group, which had accused Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani of not disclosing an alleged bribery scheme in India, charges they have consistently denied.
The three announcements came after Adani’s legal team reportedly told US SEC and DOJ officials in private discussions that the billionaire had planned a $10 billion investment in the US following Donald Trump’s 2024 election win, but ongoing probes were delaying it, according to a person close to the group.
The US Department of Justice said in a court filing that it had reviewed the case and decided, at its discretion, not to pursue the criminal charges further. The filing was made by senior officials in Washington and Brooklyn, though the usual prosecutors involved in the case did not sign it, which in some instances may indicate internal disagreement.
The case, filed in 2024 in New York, had accused Adani and others of conspiring to pay bribes to Indian officials and failing to disclose the alleged scheme to US investors, allegations the group has consistently denied.
Separately, the India-based Adani Group has agreed to settle a civil case with the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) over what the US Treasury described as “egregious” sanctions violations.
The Treasury said that between 2023 and last year, Adani Enterprises purchased liquefied petroleum gas from a Dubai-based trader in transactions that should have raised red flags, as the fuel, claimed to be from Oman and Iraq, was allegedly sourced from Iran.
It added that the shipments showed suspicious patterns, including unusual routing, frequent flag changes, and below-market pricing. US financial institutions reportedly processed around $192 million in related payments.
