New Delhi: Newly released email exchanges between Bharatiya Janata Party leader Hardeep Puri and Jeffrey Epstein – though confined to business networking and investment discussions – cast doubt on the BJP’s earlier claim that Puri’s appearance in a message from Epstein amounted to little more than casual “name-dropping”.The emails were made public by the US Justice Department on January 30 along with thousands of files linked to the convicted American sex offender and span nearly three years, from June 2014 to June 2017. The records also reveal at least three confirmed meetings at Epstein’s New York residence and ongoing efforts by Epstein to connect Puri with Silicon Valley investors.At the time, Puri did not hold any public office. A career diplomat, he had retired from the Indian Foreign Service and was working in New York for the International Peace Institute, a think-tank. He joined the BJP in 2014 and entered Narendra Modi’s government as a minister in September 2017. He is currently holding the portfolio for petroleum and natural gas.The material made public includes scheduling emails, meeting confirmations and substantive discussions about business opportunities in India’s internet economy and are not linked to any criminal activity Epstein was involved in.Though the full extent of Epstein’s criminality emerged around 2018, the financier was already a convicted and registered sex offender, having pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges in Florida of soliciting prostitution from a minor under a controversial plea agreement. Despite the stigma, however, he continued to function as a power broker for the rich and famous in the US – most of whom have now expressed regrets for having associated with him.Today, in fact, the Ministry of External Affairs underscored the fact that Epstein was a “convicted criminal” – the reference being his 2008 sentencing. He was arrested again in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors but died by suicide in custody a month later.Contacted by The Wire about the emails, Puri acknowledged meeting Epstein but said the encounters were limited and work-related. “In eight years (in New York), 3 meetings,” Puri said. “All those took place” while he was at the International Peace Institute, he added. Puri said he was not aware of Epstein’s criminal background during the period of their meetings.‘Empty name-dropping’The newly released documents provide substantially more detail about their interaction than the single September 2014 email that emerged last November, when the US House Oversight Committee released correspondence showing Epstein mentioning “Hardeep Puree (India) (sic)” among international figures he was inviting to events during the UN General Assembly.At that time, BJP National Information & Technology Department in-charge Amit Malviya dismissed the reference as “empty name-dropping”, “Ambani, Adani, Birla, Sultan sab Dilli mein aa rahe hain” during a big conference doesn’t mean any of them actually met him”. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari called it a “bogus claim” with “zero substance.”The party emphasised that Epstein had misspelled Puri’s name and suggested there was no actual relationship. “Perhaps just because Mr. Puri has been India’s PR to UN till 2013 and he may have heard his name,” Bhandari wrote in response to questions raised by Congress party leaders.Also read: Epstein Messages Reveal Anil Ambani Using Sex Offender’s Access to Pitch Modi’s Agenda With TrumpEpstein linked Puri to LinkedIn founderBased on the latest revelations, the email exchanges apparently began in June 2014, when Epstein wrote to Puri about Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, being ready to visit India. “Just saw your message on returning to Delhi, Jeffrey. Will be happy to assist/facilitate Reid Hoffman’s visit,” Puri responded on June 23, 2014.On September 24, 2014, Epstein sent an introductory email to Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, writing simply, “reid – hardeep . hardeep reid, . reid hardeep is your man in india.” The introduction led to a flurry of messages as Hoffman and Puri arranged to meet in Silicon Valley.Hoffman responded warmly, telling Puri that “Jeffrey has exquisite taste in people” and offering to meet in California or later in India. They eventually scheduled meetings for early October 2014 in Silicon Valley.Following their meeting, Puri sent a detailed email on November 13, 2014, to both Epstein and Hoffman outlining investment opportunities in India’s growing internet sector. The message referenced his October 3 discussions with Hoffman in Silicon Valley and noted Epstein’s view that Hoffman should visit India “sooner rather than later.”In the email, Puri highlighted India’s internet user base of 200 million growing by five million users monthly, expected to reach 500 million by 2018. He detailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Digital India” initiatives and compared LinkedIn’s 28 million Indian resumes with local competitor Naukri.com’s 38 million.“Jeff/Reed, I have summarized my findings above in order to endorse Jeff’s view that the visit to India be undertaken earlier rather than later,” Puri wrote. He concluded by referencing Epstein’s suggestion for “less of ‘goody goody’ and more of internet based entrepreneurial ideas” and stating: “I am ready.”Asked about the purpose of these interactions, Puri told The Wire he was advocating for Indian business opportunities. “In 2014, I’m saying, this government will concentrate on innovation, this government will do Make in India, and LinkedIn has 28 million, mentioned India’s regional languages, this could have potential,” he said. He described his November 2014 email as an “analysis that a government under Modi will” focus on innovation and Make in India, emphasising it was his “personal analysis”.The documents show Puri met Epstein at his Manhattan townhouse on at least three occasions. The meetings took place on February 4, 2015, January 6, 2016 and May 19, 2017. All meetings were scheduled through Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff and held at Epstein’s residence at 9 East 71st Street.One scheduled meeting for January 9, 2015, was cancelled when Epstein was no longer in New York.‘Please let me know when you are back from your exotic island’In December 2014, Puri wrote to Epstein asking when he would return from his “exotic island,” adding that he wanted to “come across for a chat, apart from giving you some books to excite an interest in India.” Asked about this reference, Puri said he was merely referring to Epstein’s island, not indicating that he had visited it. He said his use of the word “exotic” to describe the island may have been because someone from Epstein’s staff used that adjective to describe the place.Little St James in the US Virgin Islands is the island most often associated with Epstein. Many of the allegations against him were linked to activities said to have taken place there.The last documented exchange between Puri and Epstein occurred in June 2017, when Puri wrote, “Jeff, if you are back in town, I would like to drop by for a chat. I am here till the 10th.” Epstein replied, “Phone tomorw? I return 15th.”Puri emphasised that all four meetings took place before he joined the Modi government.Asked why he stopped meeting Epstein, Puri said, “When you get to know that a guy is what he is, what contact are you going to have with him, plus I have nothing in common with him.” He added that he “cut off stuff with Hoffman” after the initial interactions.He also said that his contact with Epstein had occurred through his association with IPI.In 2020, Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen resigned as head of IPI after it was revealed that he had links with Epstein. The think thank had received $650,000 in donations from Epstein’s foundations between 2011 and 2019, which the board later decided to donate an equivalent sum to programs that support victims of human trafficking and sexual assault. Hoffman in Trump’s cross-hairsReid Hoffman has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein but stated he regretted the association. In a 2019 statement, Hoffman said he met Epstein in 2015 through MIT and other connections. Hoffman has stated he visited Epstein’s private island once as part of fundraising for MIT.In November 2025, President Donald Trump ordered an investigation into Democrats mentioned in the Epstein files, specifically calling out Hoffman by name. “Hoffman, in my opinion, should be under investigation,” Trump said, calling him “a sleazebag.” No victim of Epstein’s sexual exploitation has made any public allegation of wrongdoing by Hoffman. In response to Trump’s call for investigation, Hoffman wrote on social media, “I was never a client of Epstein’s and never had any engagement with him other than fundraising for MIT.”The Justice Department’s release includes millions of pages of documents related to Epstein’s activities before his 2019 death in federal custody while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The emails reference other prominent individuals including former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former CIA director Bill Burns, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland.Puri served as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2009 until his retirement from the Indian Foreign Service in February 2013. India held a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council from 2011 to 2012.