New Delhi: Freshly released US Justice Department files connected to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have drawn attention after an email mentioning Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared in the latest batch of documents, prompting a strong rebuttal from the Indian government.
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According to The Jerusalem Post, one email attributed to Epstein refers to Modi’s landmark 2017 state visit to Israel — the first ever by an Indian prime minister — and claims that Modi acted on Epstein’s advice during the trip.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) categorically rejected the allegation, saying the only verifiable detail in the email is Modi’s official visit to Israel. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the remaining claims as “unfounded and misleading,” dismissing them as the musings of a convicted criminal and stressing that there is no evidence of any advisory role or meaningful contact between Modi and Epstein.
Despite the government’s denial, India’s opposition parties seized on the reference to demand clarification. The Indian National Congress sharply criticised Prime Minister Modi, calling any alleged association with Epstein a matter of “deep national shame.”
In a statement, Congress cited the email in which Epstein allegedly claimed Modi took his advice before travelling to Israel, adding that Modi “danced and sang” there for the benefit of the then US president. The party noted that Modi visited Israel from July 4 to 6, 2017, and said the email was written three days after the trip. It also pointed out that Modi met then US President Donald Trump in June 2017, prior to the Israel visit, arguing this indicated a longer-standing connection.
Congress said the matter concerns India’s national dignity and international credibility, insisting that Modi must explain what advice, if any, he received from Epstein and clarify the meaning of the claims in the email.
Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He had previously been convicted in 2008 for soliciting paid sex from a minor.
The newly released cache of documents, made public on Friday, references several high-profile figures, including US President Donald Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and British billionaire Richard Branson.
