On 16th October (Monday), the Adani Group released an official statement reiterating that some groups and individuals, both inside and outside India, have been engaged in a smear campaign to besmirch the repute and harm the interests of the Adani Group. In the official letter, the Adani group spokesperson highlighted the recent reports that indicate a “quid pro quo” between Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of Hiranandani Group.
Spokesperson, Adani Group says, "In a shocking development, on Sunday, 15 Oct 2023, a Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, filed a complaint with the CBI in the form of a sworn affidavit bringing on record “the commission of an elaborate criminal conspiracy” by MP Mahua… pic.twitter.com/6UiI4OkHC6
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2023
The official release by the Adani Group noted that on 15th October, a Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, filed a complaint with the CBI. The complaint, filed in the form of a sworn affidavit, brought on record “the commission of an elaborate criminal conspiracy” by MP Mahua Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of Hiranandani Group, the Adani group’s spokesperson said.
Notably, in his complaints, Advocate Dehadrai alleged that Moitra was paid in cash and gifts for asking questions in Parliament that favored tycoon Darshan Hiranandani’s business interests. OpIndia accessed a copy of the complaint filed by Adv Dehadrai that contained a list of items that Moitra allegedly got in exchange for asking questions in the Parliament. Click here to know more about the allegations, products, and their costs.
The Adani group further added that this conspiracy was being done to specifically target Gautam Adani and his group of companies through parliamentary questions.
The letter highlighted that Supreme Court lawyer Dehadrai asserted that, as a quid pro quo, TMC MP Moitra received bribes and undue favours from Hiranandani.
It noted that another MP has written a complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker urging him to suspend MP Moitra allegedly involved in a “quid pro quo” deal and initiate a probe for corruption against her. The Adani group emphasised that the complaint has been in wide circulation in the public domain and has also been extensively covered in the media on 16th October.
Notably, on 15th October, BJP Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey levelled serious allegations against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra. He asserted that she took cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask specific questions in the Parliament. He also submitted a formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an inquiry against Moitra and urged the Speaker for her immediate suspension.
Further, the Adani group, through the official statement, stressed that the recent development has corroborated their earlier statement issued on 9th Oct 2023 that pointed out concerted efforts against the Adani group. The Adani group has maintained that some groups and individuals have been working to harm the reputation of the Adani group of companies and their goodwill and market standing.
The letter stated, “In this particular case, the lawyer’s complaint reveals that this arrangement to besmirch the reputation and interests of the Adani Group and our Chairman Mr. Gautam Adani has been in place since 2018.”
On 9th Oct 2023, the Adani group informed the public, through a media statement and exchange filings, that “some foreign entities like the OCCRP, supported by a section of the foreign media, short-sellers and domestic collaborators, have launched a series of attacks against the Adani Group with the primary intent of dragging down its market value, the Adani group’s spokesperson added.
According to the letter, these individuals and groups (inside and outside India) have been bound by the common objective of damaging the Adani Group. For this, they have developed a playbook that is being executed to perfection by well-oiled and professional machinery working in sync both within India and abroad, the official release asserted.
The Spokesperson of the Adani group said, “We (Adani group of companies) also pointed out that one tactic in their playbook includes putting out media reports with an uncanny ability to appear just before the hearing dates of important cases in India’s courts.”
Citing the recent example of the Financial Times report, it noted, “True to predicted form, the Financial Times published a story recycling baseless allegations against the Adani Group on 12 Oct 2023, just a day before the hearing of an Adani-related case in the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
The letter concluded by stating that they are releasing the statement for the interest of all their stakeholders, including shareholders of the Adani group.
