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Hisar court sends YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra to 14-day custody over alleged Pakistan espionage network
YouTuber and travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra has been accused of espionage on behalf of Pakistani intelligence. She was sent to 14 days of judicial custody by a local court in Hisar on Monday. The 33-year-old, whose YouTube channel is Travel with JO, was previously in police custody for nine days after her arrest earlier this month. Charges placed include espionage under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Direct Contact with Pakistani Operatives
Forensic analysis of Malhotra’s three mobile phones by Hisar police revealed more than 12 terabytes of digital evidence. This includes direct communication with at least four others recognized as Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs). Investigators still wait for the forensic report of her laptop, while her bank accounts are being examined for tracing potential financial connections.
Malhotra was said to have met Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a Pakistani High Commission official, recently declared persona non grata and expelled by India on espionage charges. The police suspect the acquaintance started when she had gone to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi in November 2023 to seek a visa.
Foreign Trips Under Suspicion
Official sources exposed that Malhotra has made several trips to Pakistan and also ventured to China, Bangladesh, and other nations in recent years. On her visits to Pakistan, she was said to have received ‘special treatment,’ and her engagements with intelligence officials increased after the April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam, when Indo-Pak tensions saw a brief spike.
Viral Video Adds to Controversy
In the meantime, a video of Malhotra strolling down Lahore streets escorted by six armed guards has gone viral on social media recently. The video was posted by Scottish travel writer Callum Mill and has added more questions regarding her connections and influence in Pakistan.
Police Yet to Establish Terror Links
Despite the increasing digital evidence, Hisar police made it clear that no immediate connections have been traced between Malhotra and any terrorist group. “We have not found any indication that she was engaged in terrorist activities or wanted to convert religion or marry a PIO,” Hisar Superintendent of Police stated.
National Agencies Join Probe
The case has attracted the attention of national agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the military intelligence have also come to notice this issue. All three are said to be interrogating Malhotra about a suspected spy ring operating in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh that has resulted in 12 arrests to date.
Malhotra’s father, however, has expressed doubt about the reasons for her extended custody, saying, “They’ve found nothing so far, what more do they expect to find now?”