Mumbai, Apr 20 (IANS): Embattled industrialist Gautam Adani drove down to meet Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar at the latter's residence in south Mumbai, here on Thursday morning, party sources said here.

The duo was closeted in a private meeting for nearly two hours, though what transpired is not known, sparking huge speculation in political and business circles.

The meeting came in the wake of Pawar's recent statements opposing a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani Group affairs after the Hindenburg Research's damaging expose.

Later, after a furore in the national Opposition, Pawar apparently backtracked, diplomatically saying he would not oppose a JPC if other parties wanted it.

In its January expose, Hindenburg Research had alleged massive stock manipulation and accounting frauds indulged in by Adani Group firms which plummeted Adani's global ranking from being the second richest in the world to way below now in barely four months.