India to deliver US summons to Adani for alleged bribery

By Sarita Chaganti Singh and Arpan Chaturvedi

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government has asked a local court to deliver a summons issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to billionaire Gautam Adani over alleged securities fraud and a $265 million bribery scheme, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The summons, which was issued under Hague Service Convention that does not allow the serving of legal documents directly to defendants in India, would require Adani or his legal counsel to appear in the case in the United States, Indian lawyers said.

Adani Group has denied the allegations, describing them as "baseless" and vowing to seek "all possible legal recourse".

India's federal ministry of law has asked a district court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Adani's home state, to deliver the summons to him, the letter dated February 25 shows.

"The summons seems to be for appearance in a court in New York. If service is effected through the Indian court, the respondents will have to appear," said Arshdeep Khurana, a criminal lawyer in India.

Adani and India's law ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The summons does not imply an extradition risk for the businessman, who oversees a sprawling conglomerate spanning airport construction to media, another lawyer said.

"Extradition proceedings only come in to the picture if the U.S. court issues warrants of arrest," said Malak Bhatt, founding partner at NM Law Chambers.

Reuters reported on February 18 that the SEC was making efforts to serve its complaint on Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, and was seeking help from India to do so.

Reuters could not determine if the summons against Adani's nephew has also been processed.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month said he did not discuss the Adani case with U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to Washington.

(Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh and Arpan Chaturvedi; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)