MUMBAI, May 16 -- US market regulator's $18-million settlement of a civil case against Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani has no immediate bearing on a parallel criminal investigation initiated against them by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Adanis acknowledged that the settlement does not grant them immunity from any criminal liability related to the case, they said in their filings with a New York court. "This settles the civil action brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. It has no implications for the existing criminal charges brought by the DoJ or any other criminal investigation that may be pending," Russell A. Stamets, a partner at Circle of Counsels, a law firm in New Delhi, said. The SEC and DoJ had filed similar suits against Adani and his nephew in November 2024 for allegedly paying over $250 million in bribes to Indian officials during 2020-2024 to get lucrative solar-energy contracts. The regulators claimed the Adanis lied about the anti-bribery policies when raising capital from US investors. The Adani Grup denied all allegations. It did not immediately respond to Mint's emails seeking comment. While the SEC initiated civil proceedings, the DoJ indicted eight individuals including the Adanis and opened a criminal investigation. The SEC applied to New York Eastern District Court on 14 May to settle the case against the Adanis. The SEC applied to the New York Eastern District Court on 14 May to settle the case against the Adanis and noted that the agreement does not grant them immunity from any criminal liability arising from the matter. "Following negotiations, both defendants have executed consents agreeing to settle the SEC's claims," the regulator's attorneys wrote in their application on Thursday....