Puri has acknowledged meeting Epstein three or four times, describing the contacts as professional and linked to his work with the International Peace Institute. He has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
BY PC Bureau
October 20: Photographs from the US Department of Justice’s Epstein files showing Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri seated across a table from Jeffrey Epstein have gone viral, renewing questions about the minister’s past meetings with the convicted sex offender.
The images, circulating on social media around October 20, show Puri and Epstein seated opposite each other in a furnished room. Papers, a coffee cup and a whiteboard are visible. Critics say the photographs raise questions about Puri’s statements that his meetings with Epstein took place as part of a delegation.
What the Epstein Files Reveal About His Link with Puri
Puri, a former Indian Foreign Service officer, served as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013. He later worked with the New York-based International Peace Institute (IPI) and led its Independent Commission on Multilateralism.
Emails released by the US Justice Department in January 2026 show correspondence between Puri and Epstein from 2014 to 2017. The records also refer to meetings at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse.
The exchanges concerned professional networking. Epstein introduced Puri to LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Puri discussed India’s digital economy, the Modi government’s “Make in India” initiative and investment opportunities. The correspondence also included a request to help arrange a visa for an Epstein aide.
One email from Puri referred to Epstein’s “exotic island” and included the words “have fun”.
Puri has said he met Epstein three or four times while working as a private citizen. He has described the contacts as professional and denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes. He has also said he never visited Epstein’s private island, Little St. James.
READ: At Ravana Dahan, Modi Calls for Unity Against Nation’s Enemies
Puri Explanation
In February 2026, after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised Puri’s name in Parliament, the minister addressed the controversy in press conferences and interviews.
Puri said his meetings with Epstein took place in connection with IPI and its multilateralism work. He described one encounter as an “ambush” dinner arranged by his superior and said the meetings had nothing to do with Epstein’s criminal activities.
He has maintained that the contacts were limited and professional. His office has also denied any wrongdoing.
The photographs have now prompted fresh debate over whether at least one meeting took place without other delegation members present. The images show only Puri and Epstein at the table, but that alone does not establish whether others were present elsewhere or whether the meeting was formally part of a delegation.
Didn’t Hardeep Puri say he had never met Epstein one-on-one?
What kind of people does Modi like and chooses to have around him?
Do you need any more proof – why RSS and the right-wing can never ever respect and treat women as equals?
📸 US Dept of Justice https://t.co/KLWlq9I9C0
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) October 20, 2026
Political Row
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, have used the Epstein records to demand answers from the government. The controversy has also fuelled calls for greater transparency over Puri’s interactions with Epstein.
Puri and the BJP have rejected the criticism, describing it as a smear campaign. They argue that the contacts occurred before Puri became a Union minister in 2017 and were linked to his professional work.
Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to offences involving the solicitation of a minor for prostitution. He was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019 and died in custody that year.
What the Photos Establish
The emails and Puri’s own statements establish that the two men had contact and met several times. The photographs may provide further evidence of an encounter, provided their provenance and context are verified.
But the images do not, by themselves, prove that Puri knew about or participated in Epstein’s sex-trafficking crimes. No evidence cited here establishes such involvement.
The central question raised by the photographs is narrower: whether they support or complicate Puri’s account of how his meetings with Epstein were arranged and conducted. The images have revived that question, but their full context remains important.
