India, Feb. 7 -- Freshly released documents from the US Justice Department have revealed that Jeffrey Epstein's web of influence extended deep into India's corporate elite, including sustained communication with businessman Anil Ambani.

The messages, spanning from early 2017 to 2019, shed new light on how the disgraced financier maintained ties with global powerbrokers even as legal scrutiny closed in.

The records show Epstein and Ambani exchanging messages on world affairs, business matters, travel plans and personal preferences, just months before Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges involving minors.

One exchange from March 2017 has drawn particular attention.

The brief exchange, now part of the public record, un...