Ex-AG Rohatgi on Adani: Former Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi, has weighed in on the US Department of Justice (DoJ) indictment that has sparked allegations against the Adani Group. Sharing his personal legal views, Rohatgi clarified that key charges in the indictment do not name Gautam Adani or his nephew while expressing concerns about the lack of specificity in the allegations.  

“Count one and count five of the indictment are more important than the others, but in neither case have Mr Adani or his nephew been charged,” Rohatgi stated.

He underlined that his comments were his personal views, not as a representative of the Adani Group.  

Adanis Not Named In Obstruction Of Justice

Rohatgi explained that while other counts in the indictment relate to securities and bonds, naming the Adanis and others, the fifth count, which concerns obstruction of justice, does not include the Adanis or any of their officers. “Certain other people are named, including a foreign party, but the Adanis are not named in this very important count,” he noted.  

Criticising the chargesheet, Rohatgi pointed to its lack of details. “when you look at a charge sheet you have to be specific to say that so and so has done such and such act. So and so has bribed certain individuals because this is the charge sheet alleging that these people, including Adanis have bribed Indian officials in Indian entities relating to the supply and purchase of power. But I do not find a single name or a single detail in the chargesheet as to who has been bribed in what manner has he been bribed and the official belongs to such and such department,” he remarked.  

He said that by asserting that the Adani Group would seek legal counsel, including from American lawyers, to address the allegations. “I don’t know how one can respond to these kinds of charges, but I’m sure the Adanis will take the necessary legal steps,” Rohatgi added.  

“I just wanted to clear the air that Adani is not named either in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Practice Act or Count Five relating to Obstruction of Justice,” concluded Rohatgi.