Adani group founder and chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar have both been summoned to explain their stand on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allegation that they paid USD 265 million (Rs 2,200 crore) in bribes to secure lucrative solar power contracts, PTI reported on 13 March.
Summons have reportedly been sent to Adani’s Shantivan Farm residence in Ahmedabad and his nephew Sagar's Bodakdev residence in the same city for a reply to the US SEC within 21 days, the news agency reports.
A New York Eastern District court had earlier, on 21 November 2024, ordered that "[w]ithin 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it)... you must serve on the plaintiff (SEC) an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure."
Now, Reuters reports, the Indian government asked a local Ahmedabad, Gujarat court to deliver the summons issued by the US SEC to Adani and nephew, per a letter dated 25 February.
Indian lawyers reportedly said that the summons have been issued under the Hague Service Convention, which means the US court could not directly serve the legal documents directly to the defendants while they are in India.
The summons seems to be for appearance in a court in New York. If service is effected through the Indian court, the respondents [or their lawyers’ will have to appear,’ reports Reuters, quoting criminal lawyer Arshdeep Khurana.
The summons does not entail an extradition risk for Gautam Adani, however. That possibility only comes into play only if the US court issues warrants of arrest.
While neither the Adani group nor the Indian government have been forthcoming with a response yet, prime minister Narendra Modi did, during his Washington visit in February, tell the global media that it was a ‘personal matter’ not to be discussed between two prominent world leaders.
