Bribery Allegations Rock Andhra Pradesh's Solar Power Dealings

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy refuted bribery allegations involving the Adani Group in a solar power purchase deal. He denied state involvement, stating the agreement was solely with Solar Energy Corporation of India. U.S. authorities accused Adani executives of orchestrating a bribery scheme, which Adani Group denies.

In a significant development, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has refuted bribery allegations pertaining to the state's solar power dealings. Reddy firmly denied any involvement of the state government or the Adani Group in the controversial power purchase agreement, asserting the deal was with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

Addressing the media, Reddy stated, "Adani meeting me is nothing out of the ordinary. He has ongoing projects in Andhra Pradesh." This comes in response to reports suggesting the state may suspend a power purchase contract linked to the Adani Group amid allegations against Gautam Adani in the U.S. Reddy indicated that the state would urge SECI and the central government to probe the accusations.

The U.S. authorities have implicated Gautam Adani, along with executives Sagar Adani and Vneet S. Jaain, in a bribery scheme, alleging $265 million was used to secure Indian power-supply contracts. The majority of these payments allegedly aimed to convince Andhra Pradesh's electricity-distribution companies to purchase power. Adani Group has firmly denied these charges, dismissing them as "baseless."

(With inputs from agencies.)