US DOJ releases photo of Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri with Jeffrey Epstein as Marco Rubio lands in Mumbai

The US Department of Justice put out a photograph showing Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri standing with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a move that coincided with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Mumbai. Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha leader of the opposition, seized on the timing, posting on X that the release suggested a blackmail attempt and asking which anti‑national figure the US might be targeting. Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress echoed the criticism, reminding that Puri had previously said he met Epstein only three or four times during official delegations and demanding that he stop attending cabinet meetings. Congress member Pawan Khera added that Department of Justice documents show 62 emails exchanged between Puri and Epstein from 2014 to 2017 and cite evidence of 14 meetings, many of them one‑on‑one. He said the newly released photos strengthen the opposition’s doubts about Puri’s account. The controversy has intensified scrutiny of Puri’s past interactions with Epstein and raised questions about possible foreign influence amid high‑level diplomatic visits. ## Context The photo’s release during a senior US diplomat’s Indian trip fuels speculation that the timing is politically motivated, a pattern seen in past instances where sensitive documents surface ahead of diplomatic events.