‘No detail in chargesheet on who has been bribed': Former AG Mukul Rohatgi on Adani case in US court

'I do not find a single name or detail in the charge sheet as to who has been bribed, in what manner, and which department he belongs,' Rohatgi said, questioning the basis of indictment.

New Delhi: Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on Wednesday said Adani group's founder chairman Gautam Adani, and his nephew Sagar Adani have not been charged with violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the indictment filed by US prosecutors in a bribery case.

He said though the charges mentioned that the Adanis bribed Indian entities for solar power contracts, it did not mention the manner in which they were bribed.

“I do not find a single name or detail in the charge sheet as to who has been bribed, in what manner, and which department he belongs," he said, questioning the basis of indictment.

Addressing the media regarding news reports on the US Department of Justice indictment, Rohatgi made it clear that he is expressing his personal views and not as a spokesman for the Adani Group.

The senior advocate said he is a lawyer and he has been appearing for the Adani Group in several cases.

Rohatgi said he has gone through this indictment by the US court and five charges.

He emphasised it is very important to note that count 1 and count 5 are more important than the others.

“But neither in count 1 nor count 5 is Mr Adani or his nephew charged. This is like a charge sheet that charges individuals for specific acts. Count 1 is against certain other persons minus the two Adanis," he said Rohatgi, adding that it included some officers and one foreign person.

He said the first allegation is there is a conspiracy to violate the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and, in that, the Adanis are not named.

In count 5, which related to obstruction of justice, he pointed out, the Adanis and their officers are not named.

“The Adanis and others will respond to this chargesheet in the manner that they desire, they will also respond to stock exchanges. These are my personal views after taking a look at this chargesheet," he said.

Rohatgi said the charge sheet must be specific to say that so and so has done such and such acts, so and so has bribed certain individuals.

"But I do not find a single name or detail in the charge sheet as to who has been bribed, in what manner, and which department he belongs,” he said, wondering he does not know how one can respond to this kind of chargesheet.

Industrialist Gautam Adani, his nephew, and several others were indicted in the US court for allegedly planning to offer Rs 2,029 crore of bribes to state government officials in India for securing solar power contracts between 2020-2024. The US prosecutors claimed this fact was concealed from the US banks and investors from whom the Adani Group raised billions for the solar energy project.