By Melanie Burton
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - India's Adani Group, whose billionaire chairman has been indicted for fraud by U.S. prosecutors, is facing accusations of racism at its Australian coal unit after an Aboriginal group filed a complaint with the country's Human Rights Commission.
The Nagana Yarrbayn Wangan & Jagalingou Cultural Custodians in Queensland state said it filed a complaint alleging serious racial discrimination by the unit, Bravus Mining and Resources, earlier this week.
The complaint details how Adani employees sought to “verbally and physically obstruct and prevent” members of the Aboriginal group from accessing springs near Adani's Carmichael coal mine “in order to perform cultural rites and share cultural knowledge”, the group said in a statement.
“We have endured years of discrimination and vilification from Adani, and we’re not putting up with this anymore," Nagana Yarrbayn Senior Cultural Custodian, Adrian Burragubba said in the statement.
"Adani has been on notice about their conduct since our lawyers sent a concerns notice last year, and they refused to take action. Legal recourse is the only answer,” he added.
A Bravus spokesperson "wholly rejected" the group's allegations, saying it was an attempt to stop Bravus from telling its side of the story and "sharing facts with the public about our interactions with him and members of his ‘Family Council’."
It said the mine had been operating safely and responsibly in line with Queensland and Australian law and in partnership with the majority Traditional Owner group for the mining area under the terms of ratified Indigenous Land Use Agreements and Cultural Heritage Management Plans for more than two years.
It has not received any notification from the Australian Human Rights Commission of a complaint, it added.
A spokesperson said the Commission was unable to confirm if a complaint has been received until it had been publicly acknowledged by both the complainant and the respondent.
The Aboriginal group said it was seeking compensation, an apology, the removal of offending social media, a retraction of media statements, and anti-racism and cultural awareness training for Adani’s directors, managers and employees.
The Carmichael coal mine battled a seven-year campaign from climate activists and some Aboriginal groups before shipping its first cargo in December 2021.
Adani Group companies' shares fell for a second straight day on Friday after U.S. prosecutors charged chairman Gautam Adani in an alleged bribery and fraud scheme.