Bombay High Court rejects plea for CBI probe into bribery allegations against Adani Green Energy

The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations that crores of bribes were paid by Adani Green Energy Ltd and its associates to secure solar power contracts across several Indian States [Jitendra Maru v. Central Bureau of India & Ors.].

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam passed the order. 

A detailed order is awaited.

The petition was filed by 61-year-old Silvassa resident Jitendra P Maru, seeking a direction for the CBI to register an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

This request was based primarily on material drawn from a US criminal indictment and parallel Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proceedings, both of which are currently pending before a court in the Eastern District of New York.

Maru’s plea alleged an organised bribery scheme involving Adani Green Energy and Azure Global, a Delhi‑based renewable energy company. 

The scheme purportedly involved an agreement to pay over ₹2,000 crore in bribes to officials of State power distribution companies (DISCOMs) in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir to induce them to enter into power purchase and supply agreements at inflated tariffs.

According to the petition, these payments were documented in “bribe notes” and electronic records allegedly maintained by Adani Green executive director Sagar Adani, which were later seized by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and reproduced in proceedings before US courts. 

The petition relied on certified copies of a US Department of Justice indictment and an SEC civil enforcement complaint. 

Maru argued that the material disclosed cognizable offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The petitioner contended that since the accused were Indian citizens heading Indian companies and the alleged bribes related to contracts with Indian government entities and DISCOMs, the CBI was obliged to initiate action. 

He further argued that no prior sanction was required as the accused were private individuals, and that certified US court records were judicial records which Indian authorities were bound to treat as reliable material for initiating an investigation.

The plea stated that despite detailed complaints being sent to the CBI on October 21 and 29, 2025, regarding the alleged multi‑State bribery scheme, the agency failed to act. Maru, therefore, approached the High Court with his plea, which was now been dismissed.

Earlier today, the Court dismissed another petition filed by Maru seeking a CBI probe into allegations that Reliance Industries unlawfully extracted natural gas from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) Krishna–Godavari Basin fields.

Advocate Akshay Pawar appeared for Maru.

Advocate Kuldeep Patil appeared for the CBI.