'I met him only on a few occasions': Hardeep Singh Puri admits meeting Jeffrey Epstein

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday (February 11) dismissed allegations made by Rahul Gandhi that linked him to the controversial Epstein Files, saying that his meeting with Jeffrey Epstein took place in an official capacity as part of an International Peace Institute (IPI) delegation. Puri offered the clarification during a press conference following Rahul Gandhi’s sharp remarks in the Lok Sabha.

He stressed that his interaction with Epstein was strictly professional and unrelated to the allegations surrounding the disgraced American financier. He explained that the meeting took place while he was serving on a commission associated with the IPI. "My boss at IPI Terje Rod-Larsen, knew Epstein, and I met him only on a few occasions, 3 or at max 4 times to be precise, as part of a delegation. Our interactions had nothing to do (with the crimes he is accused of)," Hardeep Puri was quoted as saying.

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The minister said that all relevant details are already publicly available, noting that the US Department of Justice has released more than three million documents related to the case.

"Three million emails have been released, covering the period from May 2009, when I joined as India’s Ambassador to the UN in New York, until I became a minister in 2017. During this period, there are references to only three or four meetings, and my interactions were entirely professional, related to the Independent Commission on Multilateralism and other international work,” Hardeep Puri was quoted as saying. "In eight years, there are just two references and one email exchange (with Epstein) because these people introduced me to him," he added.

Referring to the Epstein files, he said Rahul Gandhi should understand that they concern allegations of serious criminal misconduct. He explained that the files relate to accusations that Epstein owned an island where individuals were allegedly taken to engage in illicit activities, including charges of paedophilia. He added that victims have filed cases against those in positions of authority and emphasised that his own interaction was unrelated to any of these matters.

Addressing an email exchange that also included Jeffrey Epstein, the minister said he had written to Reid Hoffman, the former LinkedIn CEO, expressing strong confidence in India’s potential for internet-driven economic growth. Quoting from the message, he highlighted that India, with 200 million users at the time, was the fastest-growing market for internet users globally.