A local court in Haryana’s Hisar on Thursday extended the police custody of YouTu- ber and travel blogger Jyoti Malhotra for four days as investigations continue into serious allegations that she shared information with Pakistani intelligence.
Malhotra, 33, runs a You- Tube channel called Travel with JO with over 3.77 lakh subscribers, was arrested on May 16 for allegedly being in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani offi- cial at the High Commission in Delhi, who was expelled from India on May 13 over spying charges.
Officials associated with the investigation revealed that the police have seized three mobile phones, a lap- top, and other electronic items from Malhotra. Her four bank accounts are being checked. Investigators found that she visited Pakistan multiple times since 2023 and also traveled to China and Bangladesh. Authorities are probing whether these trips were linked to spying.
The investigation is being led by Hisar Police with support from central agencies. Authorities are still trying to understand the full scope of Malhotra’s alleged involvement. Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan confirmed the case is being fully investigated by Hisar Police, and Jyoti Malhotra is in Hisar Police custody, while central agencies are questioning her, no central agency has taken custody of her.
“So far, there is no evidence that Jyoti had access to any military, defense, or strategic information”, he added. According to the Hisar SP, the four bank accounts of Jyoti are under investigation but no comment can yet be made on any financial transactions, Jyoti knowingly remained in contact with people who were identified as PIOs.
However, there is no direct proof so far linking her to any terrorist organization or any terror-related activity, added the SP. The police also made it clear that there is no information yet suggesting that Jyoti married a PIO, converted her religion, or made any such personal change. Malhotra was booked under sections of the Official Secrets Act and 152BNS on May 15.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and military intelligence have also questioned Malhotra. So far, police say there is no evidence that she accessed or shared any military or defense secrets. As per the initial interrogation the police believe she was being “groomed” as an intelligence asset by Pakistan.
They say she was in touch with Danish during a four-day military standoff between India and Pakistan after a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 tourists. Meanwhile, her Instagram account has been blocked, though her YouTube and Facebook pages are still live. The case has sparked concern about how social media platforms might be misused for spying.
