A US judge has dismissed the criminal case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after federal prosecutors abandoned the fraud and bribery prosecution nearly two years after his indictment. US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis approved the Justice Department’s request to drop the case on August 10, 2026, but stressed that the dismissal does not mean the allegations against Adani were proven false . He also criticised what he described as irregularities in the process used to abandon the prosecution. Adani and seven other executives were indicted in November 2024. US prosecutors had accused th

A US judge has dismissed the criminal case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after federal prosecutors abandoned the fraud and bribery prosecution nearly two years after his indictment.

US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis approved the Justice Department’s request to drop the case on August 10, 2026, but stressed that the dismissal does not mean the allegations against Adani were proven false. He also criticised what he described as irregularities in the process used to abandon the prosecution.

Adani and seven other executives were indicted in November 2024. US prosecutors had accused them of promising more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure solar-energy contracts expected to generate more than $2 billion in profits.

The Adani Group denied the allegations.

The case had major consequences in Kenya. Shortly after the indictment, President William Ruto ordered the cancellation of two proposed Adani projects worth more than $2.5 billion.

The largest was a proposed $1.85 billion expansion and 30-year concession to operate Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi. The plan included a second runway and expanded passenger facilities.

The second was a $736 million electricity-transmission project between Adani Energy Solutions and Kenya Electricity Transmission Company.

Both projects had already faced legal and public opposition in Kenya before the US indictment, including concerns over transparency, employment, costs and the proposed long-term concessions.

Despite the US case now being dismissed, Kenya is unlikely to revive the cancelled agreements. The government has already moved ahead with an alternative plan for JKIA, appointing the Trade and Development Bank and Africa Finance Corporation in June 2026 to arrange about $1.2 billion for airport modernisation.

The revised plan is expected to rely on airport revenues and financing from development institutions and commercial banks rather than the proposed Adani concession.

Meanwhile, Tanzania maintained its relationship with Adani, allowing Adani Ports to operate Container Terminal 2 at the Port of Dar es Salaam under a 30-year agreement. The company also agreed to acquire a 95% stake in Tanzania International Container Terminal Services for $95 million.

The contrasting approaches mean that while the dismissal removes a significant legal challenge for Adani, the infrastructure opportunities the group lost in Kenya have largely moved forward under alternative arrangements.

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