Police spoke on Wednesday about the spying case involving YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra. They said she said had been in touch with people from the Pakistan embassy. However, there is no proof yet that she is linked to any terrorist group or activity.
The 33-year-old YouTuber, who is known for her travel videos on her YouTube channel Travel with Jo, was arrested last week. According to police, she was in contact with a Pakistani intelligence officer named Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, and is accused of sharing sensitive information with him.
No Proof, Say Police
In a WhatsApp chat, Jyoti Malhotra is believed to have told Danish, “Get me married in Pakistan.”
However, the Hisar Superintendent of Police said they have not found any official proof that she wanted to change her religion. “We have not found any document which shows that she wants to marry any Pakistani officials or change her religion,” the officer said.
Police say Danish, who has been banned from entering India, introduced Malhotra to a man named Ali Ahwan. Ahwan is said to have helped her find a place to stay and connected her with Pakistani officials named Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.
“Danish was trying to turn her into a spy. She was also in contact with other YouTube influencers,” a Hisar police spokesperson said.
Police Custody Extended
Jyoti Malhotra, was arrested with six other people for spying for Pakistan. She will stay in police custody for at least four more days. Sources say that during questioning, Jyoti admitted to meeting Pakistani agents.
YouTuber Held in Suspected Pakistan Spy Network
Jyoti Malhotra, 33, is a popular YouTuber with over 3.87 lakh subscribers and more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. She reportedly visited Pakistan twice. During one of those visits, she met an official from the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Her contacts with Pakistani officials made the authorities suspicious, and she was questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
Malhotra has been charged under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and Section 152 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita Act.
She is one of 12 people arrested in the last two weeks from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh for spying. Police believe this case may be connected to a bigger spy network linked to Pakistan in northern India.
