US SEC summons Gautam Adani after India blocks legal service for 14 months. SEC now seeks court approval to serve Adani via email in $250M bribery and fraud case.
When the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided to summon Gautam Adani over alleged bribery and securities fraud, it did not expect to be stonewalled by an entire sovereign state. But that is exactly what happened.
For over 14 months, India’s Ministry of Law and Justice refused to serve summons issued by the US SEC to Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani. Now, frustrated by diplomatic deadlock, the US regulator has escalated the matter. The SEC has asked a federal court in New York for permission to serve the summons directly—through email and via the Adanis’ US-based lawyers.
This move marks a dramatic shift in the US SEC summons Gautam Adani case. It signals that the world’s most powerful securities regulator is no longer willing to wait for India’s cooperation in a case involving alleged bribery of Indian officials and deception of American investors.
The stakes are massive. The SEC alleges that Gautam and Sagar Adani orchestrated a scheme to funnel more than $250 million in bribes to secure solar power contracts in India—while raising hundreds of millions of dollars from US investors based on allegedly false disclosures.
The US SEC summons Gautam Adani case has now become one of the most controversial cross-border enforcement battles in recent history. As the US SEC summons Gautam Adani over alleged bribery and securities fraud, India’s refusal to serve legal notices has transformed a financial lawsuit into a diplomatic standoff. The US SEC summons Gautam Adani not just as an industrialist, but as a symbol of whether global financial laws apply equally to the powerful.
What Is the Adani Bribery Case About?
At the core of the Adani bribery case is a bond offering by Adani Green Energy in September 2021. The company raised over $175 million from US investors. According to the SEC, the offering documents claimed that Adani Green had strong anti-corruption policies and compliance systems.
The problem? The SEC alleges those statements were materially false.
The regulator claims Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani were simultaneously orchestrating a massive bribery scheme involving Indian government officials to secure lucrative solar contracts. These alleged payments and promises, totaling more than $250 million, were never disclosed to US investors or banks.
In November 2024, the SEC filed a civil complaint in the Eastern District of New York. On the same day, the US Department of Justice filed a parallel criminal case accusing the Adanis of:
- Securities fraud conspiracy
- Wire fraud conspiracy
- Securities fraud
The Adani Group immediately denied all allegations, calling them “baseless” and vowing to fight back.
But denial doesn’t stop a lawsuit. For a case to proceed, defendants must be formally notified. That’s where everything got stuck.
India Blocks the SEC Adani Summons
Under international law, the US must rely on the Hague Convention to serve legal documents in India. On February 17, 2025, the SEC formally submitted summons requests to India’s Ministry of Law and Justice—the designated central authority under the treaty.
Initially, things looked routine. The ministry forwarded the documents to a district court in Ahmedabad, asking it to serve the Adanis.
Then came the reversal.
In April 2025, India returned the requests unexecuted. The reason? The forwarding letter allegedly lacked an “ink signature” and an official seal. The SEC responded that neither is required under the Hague Convention and resubmitted the documents.
Silence followed.
Months passed. No response. No service. No explanation.
Then, in December 2025, India’s law ministry introduced a new objection. It claimed that under an internal SEC regulation—Rule 5(b)—the agency lacked authority to issue the summons in the first place.
This argument stunned US lawyers.
The SEC told the court that this objection has “no basis in the Convention” and that Rule 5(b) has nothing to do with international service of process. In blunt terms, India was no longer questioning the format of the summons—it was questioning the SEC’s right to act at all.
That was the breaking point.
Hague Convention on Service Abroad
Under international law, the SEC attempted service through the
Hague Convention on Service Abroad , but India’s law ministry repeatedly refused to execute the request.
SEC Moves to Serve Adani by Email
In January 2026, the SEC filed a motion asking the New York federal court to bypass India entirely. It invoked Rule 4(f)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which allows alternative service methods in foreign cases.
The SEC requested permission to:
- Serve Gautam Adani through his US law firms:
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
- Serve Sagar Adani through his counsel:
- Hecker Fink LLP
- Send the summons and complaint directly to the Adanis’ corporate email addresses.
The regulator argued that:
- Both defendants have actual knowledge of the case.
- They have made public statements about it.
- They have retained elite US legal counsel.
- The email addresses are active and used for business.
In short, the SEC told the court: These men already know they’re being sued. They are managing their defense. The only thing missing is formal service—and India is blocking it.
The SEC described the Hague Convention route as effectively dead. After 14 months of obstruction, the agency stated that it “does not expect service to be completed” through Indian authorities.
This is not a routine procedural dispute. It’s a geopolitical flashpoint.
Why the US SEC Summons Gautam Adani Matters Globally
Gautam Adani is not just another billionaire. He heads one of India’s most politically connected conglomerates, spanning ports, power, airports, and renewable energy. He has been described as one of the closest industrialists to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The US charges against Adani test whether political power can shield a tycoon from international accountability.
If India continues to block service, it sends a clear message: powerful domestic figures are beyond reach, even when foreign investors are allegedly defrauded. That’s poison for global capital markets.
From the US perspective, this is not about Indian politics. It’s about protecting American investors and enforcing securities law. The SEC cannot allow a precedent where foreign billionaires raise money in US markets and then hide behind national borders.
That is why the SEC email summons Adani strategy is so important. It signals that the US will not let diplomatic games derail enforcement.
On the same day, the US Department of Justice filed a parallel criminal case, similar to other high-profile securities fraud investigations that have rocked global markets.
What Happens Next?
If the court approves the SEC’s request, Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani will be considered formally served—even without India’s cooperation.
That unlocks everything:
- The SEC case can move forward.
- Motions can be filed.
- Evidence can be demanded.
- Discovery can begin.
At that point, the Adanis face a choice: fight in a US court or risk default judgments and escalating legal consequences.
This is no longer a theoretical threat. It is a live, advancing legal battle.