ISLAMABAD: The United States has moved to bypass the Indian government to serve legal summons on billionaire Gautam Adani, a long-time ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underscoring growing strains around cross-border legal cooperation and the perception of political shielding in New Delhi.
Adani, one of Asia’s richest men, has built his conglomerate, spanning ports, power, airports, and energy, in parallel with Modi’s rise from Gujarat chief minister to India’s prime minister.
According to a filing cited by Reuters, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked a federal court to allow service of summons by email on Gautam Adani and senior Adani Group executive Sagar Adani.
The request came after Indian authorities declined, on two occasions, to deliver the documents through formal diplomatic channels.
In its court filing, the SEC said it attempted to use the Hague Service Convention, the standard international mechanism for serving legal papers, but the process stalled after India refused to execute the requests.
The regulator told the court that alternative methods were now necessary to prevent further delays in the case.
Indian investigative outlet The Wire reported that the Modi government effectively blocked the summons for roughly 14 months, a period during which US authorities received no cooperation from New Delhi.
The delay has intensified criticism that India’s government is using state machinery to protect politically connected business figures from international scrutiny.
The legal maneuver quickly rippled through financial markets. Shares of Adani Group companies fell between 2% and 11% on Friday after news broke that the SEC was seeking court approval to directly email summons to the two executives, according to figures reported by Deccan Herald.
At the center of the SEC’s action are allegations tied to an alleged bribery and fraud scheme involving Adani Green Energy and solar power contracts in India. US authorities allege that senior figures orchestrated illicit payments to secure lucrative government-backed energy projects, while failing to disclose the risks and payments to American investors.
The Financial Times has reported that US investigators allege more than $250 million in bribes were paid to Indian officials to win solar-energy business, and that these payments were concealed from US lenders and shareholders, potentially violating American securities laws.
Critics have long argued that Adani’s rapid expansion has been enabled by favorable policy decisions, state financing, and political proximity to Modi’s government. Indian authorities have consistently denied any wrongdoing or preferential treatment, while opposition parties and civil society groups accuse the government of undermining regulatory independence to protect corporate allies.
The SEC’s decision to bypass the Indian state marks an unusually blunt rebuke to New Delhi’s refusal to cooperate and raises broader questions about India’s commitments to international legal norms.
For Washington, the move signals impatience with what it sees as obstruction. For India, it reinforces concerns that political power is being used to shield influential figures. At the cost of credibility in global markets and democratic accountability.
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