Dalai Lama never met Epstein: Office

Kullu: The office of the Dalai Lama has issued a firm rebuttal to media reports attempting to link the Tibetan spiritual leader to the late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement released on Sunday from his headquarters in McLeodganj, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (OHHDL) has stated that the 90-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate neither ever met Epstein, nor did he ever authorise any interaction with him. That includes any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness's behalf, the statement reads. "We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness never met Jeffrey Epstein."


Origin of the Claims

The clarification follows a surge in social media posts and reports, primarily from state-controlled Chinese outlets, alleging that the Dalai Lama's name appears frequently in files recently released by the US department of justice. Some reports claimed the spiritual leader's name surfaced at least 169 times within the documents. On Jan 30, the US justice department released almost 30 lakh pages of material — including court records, emails, and photographs — related to the Epstein investigation, many of which mention high-profile global figures.

Winter Sojourn and Recent Honors

The Dalai Lama is currently in Mundgod, Karnataka, for his annual winter sojourn. Despite the controversy, the spiritual leader has maintained a busy schedule. On Feb 1, he was awarded a Grammy for his audiobook, ‘Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama'. On Sunday, he presided over a memorial prayer service at Gomang Monastery for his elder brother, Gyalo Thondup, marking the first anniversary of his death. The service was attended by more than 8,000 people.

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to conclude his two-month stay at the Drepung Monastery in Mundgod on Monday (Feb 9). He is expected to return to his permanent residence in Dharamshala on Feb 13.

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Support for spiritual leader

Minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju came out in support of the Dalai Lama, saying that "the revered institution" should not be casually linked with the ‘Epstein files' with the motive of damaging the sacred institution. Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu also condemned attempts to malign the Tibetan spiritual leader. In a social media post, Khandu stated that: "The revered institution of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama must not be dragged into baseless narratives or malicious speculation like the so-called ‘Epstein files'. Attempts to malign a sacred spiritual institution through misinformation are deeply irresponsible and condemnable."

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