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YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra to Appear in Court as Police Remand Ends in Espionage Case
Social media influencer and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, arrested earlier this month on suspicion of spying for Pakistani intelligence, is set to be produced before a Hisar court on Monday as her extended four-day police remand concludes. The extension was granted after her initial five-day custody ended last Thursday.
Malhotra, 33, who runs the YouTube travel channel “Travel with JO”, was arrested from the New Aggarsain Extension area in Hisar and is among 12 individuals detained from Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh in connection with what authorities describe as a suspected spy network with links to Pakistan.
Hisar police have stated that, while Malhotra was in contact with individuals believed to be Pakistani intelligence operatives, no direct evidence has been found linking her to military or defence secrets. “So far, we have not found any evidence of her involvement in any terror activity or her alignment with any terrorist group,” said the Hisar Superintendent of Police.
“We have not found any document which depicts that she wants to marry any PIOs [Persons of Indian Origin] or wants to change religion,” he added.
The police have confirmed that Malhotra had been communicating with a man identified as Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, who worked at the Pakistani High Commission in India. Danish was expelled by the Indian government.
Authorities have seized three mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Malhotra and have sent them for forensic examination. In addition, four of her bank accounts are currently under investigation. Intelligence agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Military Intelligence, have also questioned Malhotra. She is being investigated under relevant provisions of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The YouTuber’s travel history has also come under scrutiny, with investigators noting visits to Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and several other countries in recent years. She was reportedly in contact with Danish during a period of heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan following the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam.
Meanwhile, Malhotra’s family has expressed concern over her prolonged custody. Her father questioned the justification behind repeated extensions of her remand. “They had taken her on a five-day remand earlier. Now, she’s been given four more days. They didn’t find anything before, so what will they find now?” he told news agency IANS.
