The latest developments in the ongoing scrutiny of Jeffrey Epstein's connections have put India's Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri under the spotlight. On February 11, 2026, Puri addressed allegations raised by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who claimed Puri's name appeared in the Epstein files. Puri clarified that his interactions with Epstein were limited to 'three or maximum four times' and were entirely professional, related to his work with the International Peace Institute, a New York-based think tank. He emphasized, 'I had no interest in Epstein's activities. For them, I was not the right person,' as reported by NDTV. Puri also mentioned that his email exchanges with Epstein were primarily about inviting LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman to India to explore internet-based business opportunities, as noted by Business Recorder.