Melodious charm

Sir — Many politicians are known to pursue one or the other hobby to unwind — the painting skills of the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, for instance, are well-known. But it is rare for a politician to be able to cultivate a ‘cool’ image as Conrad Sangma, the chief minister of Meghalaya, has done. He recently showcased his guitar skills by performing “Wasted years” by Iron Maiden at a cafe. Whether this will garner more votes for his party is uncertain but Sangma’s musical prowess will surely earn him appreciation among the youth — something that politicians these days aspire to.

Priyanka Goswami, Shillong

Legal breather

Sir — Nearly a year after the American financial research firm, Hindenburg Research, accused the Adani Group of manipulating its share prices, the Supreme Court has declined to transfer the probe into the allegations to a special investigation team or the Central Bureau of Investigation (“Good day in SC for Adani”, Jan 4). The court has reposed faith in the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, and directed it to complete its inquiry within three months. No less significant is the fact that the reports published by Hindenburg Research and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project have not dissuaded the government of the United States of America from investing in projects in which the Adani Group is involved.

S.S. Paul, Nadia

Sir — The Supreme Court, while hearing a batch of petitions concerning the Adani-Hindenburg row, directed SEBI to investigate the losses that investors have incurred as a result of the volatility in the stock market arising from short selling. The capital market regulator has informed the court that its investigation into charges against the Adani Group is almost complete.

After the verdict, Gautam Adani posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the truth had prevailed and that he was grateful to those who had stood by the Adani Group. However, the apex court has not provided his company with a clean chit. If Adani wishes to prove his innocence, suing Hindenburg Research in an international legal forum — as the business tycoon had threatened to do — would be the correct mode of action.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — Given the seriousness of the allegations against the Adani Group and the fact that more information regarding the alleged ownership of two of the 13 ‘benami’ shell companies continues to pour in, the demand for an investigation by an independent SIT or the CBI would have met the ends of justice. The apex court’s decision to side with SEBI indicates that the continuation of its investigation will be a mere formality.

Arun Gupta, Calcutta

Sir — The posts on X by the industrialist, Gautam Adani, proclaiming that truth has won, do not present an accurate picture. SEBI does not even have the mandate to conduct probes into many of the alleged financial malpractices by the Adani Group. If Adani is innocent, SEBI should have exonerated him by now. Even if the charges by the US-based Hindenburg Research are ignored, the report published by the Financial Times about discrepancies in invoices of coal imports by the Adani Group deserves further scrutiny.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Sir — The Supreme Court’s refusal to order a probe into allegations against the Adani Group comes at a time when the leaders of the INDIA bloc are trying to make these a poll plank for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The judgment shows that opposing Gautam Adani or the prime minister alone will not work; the Opposition needs to present a developmental plan of its own.

Hassan Khan, Mumbai