New Delhi:
Former Foreign Secretary of India Kanwal Sibal has termed the framing of charges by the US court in a case of bribery allegedly committed by an Indian citizen on Indian soil as a wrong step. On micro-blogging website Kanwal Sibal has termed the American action as ‘completely arbitrary’ and a ‘poor use of America’s power’.
The former Foreign Secretary believes that if America had any information about bribery in India, then they should have contacted the Indian legal system and provided the information, and should not have unilaterally prosecuted any Indian citizen.
This is sheer high-handedness. An abusive use of US power.
If the US has information on acts of bribery they should move the Indian legal system. The indictment is against an Indian national for acts committed on Indian soil. The extraterritorial jurisdiction claimed by the US… https://t.co/X2ITvz8A2v
— Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) November 21, 2024
Kanwal Sibal wrote in the tweet, “This indictment has been made against an Indian citizen for acts committed on Indian soil… This act of America, done beyond its limits, violates the sovereignty of other countries.. .”
The former Foreign Secretary questioned how US prosecutors could have conducted an investigation in India, as this would have been a direct violation of Indian law and national sovereignty. He wrote, “How did the US prosecutor investigate the case in India…?”
Not only this, Kanwal Sibal also took a dig at America and said that America should focus on the deep-rooted corruption in the American political system, which is the result of the ‘nexus between big corporations and politicians’.
He urged the US to focus on domestic issues rather than expanding its legal reach internationally.
After this, the former diplomat has also warned in his tweet that such actions can create tension in bilateral relations between India and America.
Earlier, Adani Group has termed the allegations of bribery made in America as false and baseless. In a statement issued by the group, citing a statement from the US Attorney’s Office, it said the indictment contains only charges and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Adani Group is going to take legal action in this matter. According to the statement, Adani Group follows the highest standards of management and transparency, and fully respects the laws of the country in which it operates.
(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)
