Rahul Gandhi demands immediate arrest of Gautam Adani, calls for probe into SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch: Here's what he said

Rahul Gandhi. Pic/PTI

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded immediate arrest of industrialist Gautam Adani after the billionaire industrialist was charges in the US for alleged bribery and fraud.

Addressing a press conference here hours after the US prosecutors charged Adani and associates for allegedly paying USD 250 million bribe to Indian officials, the Congress leader said it is now pretty clear and established in the US that the businessman has broken Indian as well as American laws.

The Adani group has not yet reacted to the charges.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek hain to safe hain' slogan, Gandhi said that as long as the prime minister and Adani are together, they are safe in India.

He said Adani should be arrested immediately and interrogated, and his "protector" and Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch should be removed from her post probed.

Gandhi further said he will raise the issue during the Winter session of Parliament beginning Monday.

He also said the demand of the opposition for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe stands.

"I can guarantee that Adani won't be arrested or investigated in India because the Modi government was protecting him," Rahul Gandhi alleged.

He said investigations should cover all states, irrespective of which party was in power.

US prosecutors charge Gautam Adani and others in alleged Solar Energy contract bribery case

New York [US], November 21 (ANI): A five-count criminal indictment has been unsealed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, charging prominent Indian executives including Chairman of the Adani Group Gautam Adani by linking them to an alleged bribery and fraud scheme, Reuters reported citing US prosecutors.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, "A five-count criminal indictment was unsealed in federal court charging Gautam Adani, Sagar R. Adani, and Vneet S. Jaain, with conspiracies to commit securities and wire fraud and substantive securities fraud for their roles in a multi-billion-dollar scheme to obtain funds from U.S. investors and global financial institutions on the basis of false and misleading statements."

The indictment also charges Ranjit Gupta and Rupesh Agarwal, former executives of a renewable-energy company with securities that had traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the U.S. Issuer), and Cyril Cabanes, Saurabh Agarwal and Deepak Malhotra, former employees of a Canadian institutional investor, with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in connection with the alleged bribery scheme.

(With inputs from Agencies)