India rejects Epstein file claims linking PM Modi

India on Saturday strongly rejected any reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a purported email linked to the recently released Epstein files, calling it baseless and contemptible. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the mention deserved no credibility and should be dismissed outright.

The response came after the US Justice Department released a massive tranche of documents connected to its investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The material includes millions of pages of records, videos and images made public under a new transparency law in the United States.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the mention of Modi in a purported email was nothing more than the “trashy ruminations of a convicted criminal.”

“We have seen reports of an email message from the so-called Epstein files that has a reference to the Prime Minister and his visit to Israel,” Jaiswal said in a video statement.

He clarified that beyond the fact of Modi’s official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the claims should be “dismissed with the utmost contempt.”

The government’s swift response appeared aimed at shutting down speculation surrounding the email, the details of which have not been officially verified.

The statement, however, drew reactions from the opposition Congress party, which called for greater clarity on the issue.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said on social media that the Prime Minister was mentioned several times in the latest set of documents released by the US government.

“The official spokesperson has been compelled to respond. But many questions do remain,” Ramesh wrote.

The files are part of an unprecedented disclosure ordered under a transparency law signed by US President Donald Trump. Authorities said the move followed an extensive review of material related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Epstein died by apparent suicide in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Years earlier, he served 13 months in custody in Florida after a controversial plea deal that drew widespread criticism.

- With inputs from agencies