00:00What was Minister Hardeeb Puri's link with Jeffrey Epstein?
00:03Let me know when you are in town and have time for a coffee, wrote Hardeeb Singh Puri
00:07to Jeffrey Epstein in 2015.
00:09At the time, Puri had retired from the Indian Foreign Service and was working with a New
00:13York-based think tank called International Peace Institute.
00:16He had joined the BJP in January 2014 but had not yet entered the Union Government.
00:21Yes, Puri's name is in the Epstein files but not for the reasons you would imagine.
00:24The released emails indicate that Puri and Epstein were in contact over business and
00:28investment-related subjects, seen as an attempt to bring investments to India.
00:33In June 2014, Puri wrote an email to Epstein and a man named Reid Hoffman.
00:37Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn.
00:39In the email, Puri addressed Hoffman's possible visit to India.
00:42He wrote, You will be happy to assist and facilitate Reid Hoffman's visit.
00:47Then in the September 2014 email to Hoffman, Epstein introduced Puri as a point of contact.
00:52Addressing Hoffman, Epstein wrote, Read Hardeeb, Hardeeb, Reid, Reid, Hardeeb is your man in
00:57India.
00:58Further correspondence shows Puri sharing views on India's internet sector and the investment
01:01climate.
01:02In a November 2014 email to Hoffman, Puri also talked about the policy direction of the newly
01:06elected Modi government and initiatives such as Make in India.
01:10In another November 2014 email, Puri, encouraging Reid Hoffman to visit India sooner, wrote that
01:15he was now convinced more than ever that India today presents a terrific opportunity for
01:19internet-based economic activity.
01:21He also referred to SoftBank's investments in India and companies such as Snapdeal and
01:25Knockery.com.
01:26In an interview with a media outlet, Puri admitted to having met Epstein, but he firmly asserted
01:31that the encounters were work-related.
01:32No.
01:33No.
01:34No.
01:35No.
01:36No.
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