Law Ministry denies receiving US request for assistance in serving summons to Adani
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New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Law and Justice has denied receiving any request from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for assistance in serving summons to Gautam Adani and his nephew in a civil case. This contradicts the SEC’s claim in a New York court that it had sought help from the Indian government under the Hague Service Convention.
According to an RTI reply obtained by The Hindu, the department of legal affairs stated that “no such request [had] been received” as of February 21—three days after the SEC informed the court of its request for assistance.
The SEC had alleged in November that Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, orchestrated a scheme to bribe Indian officials in connection with a solar power project. It accused them of misleading US investors with false claims during a 2021 debt offering by Adani Green Energy.
In a separate case, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York filed criminal charges against Adani and seven others, alleging conspiracies to commit securities and wire fraud. Five of them were also charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), linked to the alleged $250 million bribery scheme.
The Adani Group has dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”
On February 18, the SEC stated that it had contacted Adani and his legal representatives and had sent them Notices of Lawsuit and Requests for Waiver of Service of Summons. It also confirmed that it had requested assistance from India’s Ministry of Law and Justice under Article 5(a) of the Hague Service Convention.
India and the US are signatories to the Hague Service Convention, which facilitates judicial document exchanges between member countries. The SEC informed the court that the process of serving summons was ongoing and that it would continue efforts as per Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), keeping the court updated on developments.
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Minister Parameshwara says remarks on properties linked to drug peddlers 'misunderstood'
Tumakuru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said his recent remarks on the demolition of properties linked to those involved in narcotics trade were "misunderstood and misinterpreted".
His clarification follows remarks made two days ago on the government's uncompromising crackdown on the drug menace, including action against properties linked to foreign nationals allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
"It is unfortunate. It is taken in the wrong sense. I didn't mean that tomorrow itself I am going to send bulldozers and demolish the houses. That was not my intention. It was wrongly taken," he told reporters here.
Responding to Congress MLC K Abdul Jabbar's question in the legislative council on the growing drug menace in Bengaluru, Davangere and coastal districts, the minister on Thursday detailed the extensive enforcement measures initiated since the Congress government assumed office.
Pointing to the involvement of some foreign nationals, the minister had said, "Many foreign students from African countries have come to Karnataka. They are into the drug business. We catch them and register cases against them, but they want the case to be registered because once the case is registered, we cannot deport them."
"We have gone to the extent of demolishing the rented building where they stay," he had said.
