'Trashy criminal ruminations': India slams PM Modi's Epstein files mention
What's the story
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name appeared in the recently released United States Department of Justice files. The files are connected to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Beyond the fact of the Prime Minister's official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal."
Twitter Post
MEA's statement
Our statement to clarify certain reports ⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 31, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/WvcGHeA01D pic.twitter.com/thmZFcNWsM
Diplomatic milestone
PM Modi's historic visit to Israel
PM Modi's visit to Israel in July 2017 was the first by an Indian Prime Minister since the two nations established full diplomatic relations in 1992. The clarification from India came soon after the US Department of Justice made public new records from its investigation into Epstein. These disclosures are part of an effort to reveal what authorities knew about Epstein's sexual abuse and his connections with powerful people.
Document release
Release of documents mandated by law
Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that over three million pages of documents were being released in this latest round of disclosures. The files also include more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. These records were previously withheld from an initial release in December last year. The disclosures are mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was enacted following political and public pressure to reveal information related to Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Epstein's demise
Epstein's death ruled as suicide
Epstein died in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after he was charged with federal sex trafficking offenses. His death was ruled a suicide. The latest cache of files related to the investigation contains documents that reference US President Donald Trump and other high-profile figures, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, British billionaire Richard Branson, and former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.