The Adani Group has issued a statement in response to allegations of a conspiracy involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani, aimed at targeting Gautam Adani and his conglomerate of companies. The group has asserted that these allegations are part of a broader effort to damage their name, reputation, and market standing.
The controversy emerged after Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai filed a complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accompanied by an affidavit, in which he alleged that Mahua Moitra had received bribes and undue favors from Darshan Hiranandani. These allegations suggest that Ms. Moitra asked specific questions in parliament at Mr. Hiranandani’s behest, with the intention of targeting Mr. Adani and his group of companies.
The Adani Group spokesperson’s statement revealed the following:
“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 Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of Hiranandani Group, for specifically targeting, inter alia, Gautam Adani and his group of companies through parliamentary questions.”
Mr. Dehadrai’s complaint further detailed that Ms. Moitra allegedly received bribes and favors from Mr. Hiranandani in exchange for her actions. This complaint was subsequently forwarded to the Lok Sabha Speaker, with a request to suspend and investigate Ms. Moitra for corruption.
These developments indicate that the Adani Group has been the target of a concerted effort to undermine its reputation and interests. The group’s spokesperson noted that this arrangement to besmirch their reputation and interests had been in place since 2018.
In a statement issued on October 9, 2023, the Adani Group had previously highlighted 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 group alleged that certain individuals and groups, motivated by the common objective of damaging the Adani Group, had devised a playbook executed by a well-coordinated and professional machinery operating both within India and abroad. They also cited the tactic of releasing media reports that “uncannily appear just before the hearing dates of important cases in India’s courts.”
The Adani Group emphasized that these allegations and efforts to tarnish their reputation are a cause for concern and have been issued in the interest of their stakeholders, including shareholders. The group aims to maintain its reputation and market standing amid these allegations.
