US Regulators Accuse Indian Authorities of Failing to Deliver Summons to Gautam Adani

US SEC Says Indian Authorities Yet to Serve Summons to Gautam Adani.

A US federal lawsuit against billionaire Gautam Adani has hit delays, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) telling the Eastern District of New York that Indian authorities have not yet served formal summons to the Adani Group chairman and his associates.

In an August 11 status report, the SEC said it has faced procedural hurdles under the Hague Service Convention while pursuing its civil case, which accuses Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and others of securities law violations and misleading US investors. The allegations involve a scheme to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure solar power contracts — charges the Adani Group dismisses as “baseless.”

The SEC said it requested assistance from India’s Ministry of Law and Justice in February, but months later the summons remain unserved. The Ministry reportedly forwarded the request to a court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, though no confirmation of service has been received. The agency has also sent notices directly to Adani’s legal counsel in India.

The case stems from a November 2024 indictment in New York that charged Adani and others with bribery and fraud between 2020 and 2024. While the SEC’s civil suit is separate from the criminal proceedings, both rely on the same allegations, and the lawsuit cannot proceed until the summons are delivered.