New Delhi: The government on Friday said that it has received no request from US authorities about the arrest warrant issued against industrialist Gautam Adani over bribery charges.

Adani Group has dismissed the charges as “baseless” and said it would tackle the matter legally

The remarks came amid reports of an indictment against Gautam Adani by the US Department of Justice.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in an official statement, said that the government has no role in the legal proceedings involving Adani-linked entities in the United States.

“This is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the US Department of Justice,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing. He added that “established procedures and legal avenues” would be followed in such cases.

For any legal action to be taken within India, including the execution of an arrest warrant, US authorities are required to notify the Ministry of Home Affairs in India. The Home Ministry can then direct relevant federal agencies to act upon the request.

The indictment against Gautam Adani in the US includes allegations of bribery to secure solar energy contracts in India and misleading American investors through fraudulent financial disclosures.

US authorities, if they seek to bring Adani to the US to face charges, are expected to invoke the India-US extradition treaty. Under the treaty, the US must provide evidence linking the alleged actions to violations of American law and demonstrate their jurisdictional impact.

The MEA spokesperson said that the government was not informed in advance about the matter and had not discussed it with their US counterparts. He said, “Any request by a foreign government for the service of a summons or arrest warrant is part of mutual legal assistance. Such requests are examined on merits. We have not received any request in this case from the US side.”

The spokesperson emphasised that the issue pertains to private entities and that the government is not legally involved in the matter at this stage.

However, the Adani Group has dismissed the charges as “baseless” and said it would tackle the matter legally.