Hardeep Singh Puri says he met Jeffrey Epstein only as part of IPI delegation
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri denied any wrongdoing, stating his encounters with Jeffrey Epstein were limited to a few meetings within an International Peace Institute delegation.
Facing scrutiny over his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri held a press briefing to refute any implication of misconduct. He clarified that his meetings with Epstein were confined to a handful of occasions, occurring as part of a delegation from the International Peace Institute (IPI). After resigning as India's ambassador to the United Nations, Puri was invited to join IPI, where his superior, Terje Rod-Larsen, was acquainted with Epstein.
According to Puri, the encounters were strictly professional and unrelated to the criminal conduct for which Epstein was convicted. He stressed that the meetings took place in 2014 and involved no personal or illicit involvement. The minister’s statements aim to distance him from the scandal surrounding the late financier.
