The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has firmly denied any link between the Tibetan spiritual leader and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as political leaders in India spoke out against what they described as misinformation and malicious speculation surrounding the so-called “Epstein files.”
The clarification came after media reports and social media posts claimed that the Dalai Lama’s name appeared multiple times in documents released by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) as part of records related to Epstein.
https://x.com/DalaiLama/status/2020350986683052473?s=20
In a statement posted on X, the Dalai Lama’s office said attempts were being made to draw a connection where none existed. It stated that His Holiness had never met Jeffrey Epstein and had not authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on his behalf.
The statement followed reports that the Dalai Lama’s name appeared in personal emails and in the index of a book included among scanned case documents. Some reports also referred to emails from October 2012 that allegedly mentioned a possible meeting or an event where both might have been present. No evidence has emerged showing any direct meeting between the two.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu reacted strongly, saying the revered institution of the Dalai Lama must not be dragged into baseless narratives or malicious speculation. He termed attempts to malign a sacred spiritual institution through misinformation as irresponsible and condemnable.
Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal also criticised what he called misleading and defamatory narratives. He said the sacred institution of His Holiness should never be dragged into unfounded and malicious stories, describing such claims as condemnable.
The controversy has resurfaced after fresh attention on the DoJ’s release of a large tranche of Epstein-related records, reportedly containing references to numerous global public figures. Names of several international political and business leaders have appeared in media coverage of the files, though inclusion in the documents does not by itself imply wrongdoing.
The Dalai Lama’s office has maintained that the spiritual leader has no association with Epstein, seeking to put the matter to rest amid continuing global scrutiny of the released records.
