India’s Oil Minister Admits Meeting Epstein ‘3 or 4 Times,’ Denies Any Wrongdoing
NEW DELHI: India’s Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that he had met and communicated with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time in the United States, but firmly denied any involvement in wrongdoing.
Puri, a former career diplomat, said he encountered Epstein “three or maximum four times” while associated with the International Peace Institute (IPI), a New York-based think tank headed until 2020 by Norwegian diplomat and former cabinet minister Terje Roed-Larsen.
Roed-Larsen, 78, has previously apologised for his links to Epstein. His wife, Mona Juul, a Norwegian ambassador, also stepped down over her connections to Epstein.
The minister’s remarks came after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in parliament, saying Puri’s name appeared in Epstein’s emails and asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to clarify the nature of his dealings with the financier.
Puri, who served as India’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013 and joined Modi’s cabinet in 2017, rejected any allegations of misconduct.
According to documents released by the US Department of Justice, emails between Puri and Epstein primarily referenced Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn. Puri said he had sought to invite Hoffman to India to explore opportunities in the country’s internet-based business sector.
