Gautam Adani indicted by US: White House says India-US ties strong, “confident” in navigating crisis

The White House has said it is aware of the allegations against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, who was indicted in New York over his role in an alleged multibillion-dollar bribery and fraud scheme.

Addressing reporters during her daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed confidence that Indian and the US could navigate the issue without compromising their robust partnership.

“So, Obviously, we’re aware of these allegations, and I would have to refer you to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and DOJ (Department of Justice) about the specifics of those – of those allegations against the Adani Group,” she said.

Jean-Pierre said that the relationship between the US and India remains solid. “What I will say is on the US and India relationship, we believe that it stands on an extremely strong foundation anchored in ties between our people and cooperation across a full range of global issues,” she said.

She further expressed confidence in the ability of the two nations to navigate the situation. “What we believe and we’re confident about is that we’ll continue to navigate this issue as we have with other issues that may have come up. And so the specifics of this, this is something that the SEC and DOJ can speak to directly, but again, we believe that…this relationship between India and the US has been built on a strong foundation,” the White House spokesperson added.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York had earlier unsealed criminal charges against Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and other executives linking them to an alleged bribery scheme.

On Thursday, the Adani Group strongly refuted bribery allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of the Adani Green terming them baseless.

Adani Group spokesperson, in an official statement, said all legal recourse will be taken. “The US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied,” the statement read.

The group further highlighted a key aspect of the legal proceedings. “As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, ‘The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.’ All possible legal recourse will be sought,” the statement said.