A U.S. judge has asked the Justice Department to justify its decision to drop criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, declining to immediately approve a request from Adani's lawyers to formally dismiss the case.

U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn on Friday ordered the Justice Department to explain its decision after Adani's legal team earlier this week sought the formal dismissal of the indictment. The Justice Department had announced in May that it would no longer pursue the prosecution, but the charges cannot be dropped without the judge's approval.

Adani was charged in 2024 with allegedly agreeing to bribe Indian government officials so a subsidiary of the Adani Group could secure approval to develop a solar power project. Prosecutors also alleged that he misled U.S. investors by providing reassuring information about the company's anti-corruption practices.

The Adani Group has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

In a letter submitted to the court on Wednesday, Adani's lawyer, Robert Giuffra, argued that the case should be dismissed because it was beyond the reach of U.S. law and because prosecutors would not be able to prove the alleged bribery in India.

Giuffra wrote that the Justice Department's decision to drop the indictment came after "months of detailed and extensive communications and meetings with counsel" for Adani and his co-defendants.

The lawyer also urged Judge Garaufis to formally dismiss civil charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after the regulator reached a settlement under which Adani would pay $6 million and his nephew, Sagar Adani, would pay $12 million.

Separately, Adani Enterprises Ltd has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury Department $275 million to settle alleged violations of Iran sanctions.