Source Credit: The Hindu
The Indian Ministry of Law and Justice has clarified that there has been no request received from the U.S. for assistance in serving summons to the Indian businessman Gautam Adani in regard to a foreign bribery case.
The situation arose out of the U.S. securities and exchange commission when it informed the New York court that it requested India for assistance in serving summons on Adani.
According to the Law Ministry, the Department of Legal Affairs has received no written request for assistance on this issue. Previously, the U.S. SEC had filed a legal brief in which it indicated that it was trying to serve summons on Gautam Adani in connection with a case regarding allegations of foreign bribery.
Interest in the matter has spurred an exceedingly high volume of media coverage on the case involving allegations against Adani's company. However, legally, the position adopted by the Indian counterpart is straightforward: No request has been received, and the Ministry has declined to comment on the issue any further for now. The U.S. SEC's attempts to serve the summons related to a foreign bribery case further complicate the ongoing legal matters involving the Adani Group.
The development puts a shadow on international cooperation on legal cases and concepts of cross-border legal aid. The U.S. SEC seems to have made a formal request, while the Indian government remains staunch, claiming that no request has been received or processed as of now.
Further information is expected on the legal proceedings and any potential interaction that could take place between the legal agencies of the two nations as the case proceeds.
