A New York court has ordered that three ongoing cases against industrialist Gautam Adani and others, related to charges of a USD 265 million bribery scheme, be consolidated into a joint trial. The cases will be heard together due to their similar allegations and transactions.

The cases now grouped together include the criminal case "US vs Adani and others," the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) civil case "SEC vs Adani and others," and the SEC civil case "SEC vs Cabanes," which involves other accused individuals.

The court's decision to combine these cases aims to streamline proceedings and avoid scheduling conflicts. District Judge Nicholas G Garaufis, who is overseeing the criminal case, will handle all the cases. Court staff have been directed to reassign the cases accordingly.

Adani and his associates are accused of paying bribes totaling USD 265 million (approximately Rs 2,029 crore) to secure solar energy contracts with state-run electricity distribution companies. US prosecutors previously claimed that this information was concealed from US banks and investors who had financed Adani Group’s solar energy initiatives.

The Adani Group has strongly denied the accusations, calling them "baseless" and maintaining that they are a law-abiding organization, fully compliant with all legal regulations. A spokesperson emphasized that the indictment is based on charges, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.