YouTuber Jyoti Rani Malhotra
, hailing from Hisar, Haryana, has been arrested on charges of espionage for Pakistan. This arrest has stirred the local community. Following her arrest, her father, Harish Malhotra, has addressed the media, sharing insights into her YouTube career and travels to Pakistan.
Jyoti Malhotra ran a YouTube channel under the name 'Travel with Jo'. She is accused of being in contact with officials from the Pakistan High Commission and their intelligence agency. Consequently, the police have detained her for a five-day custody period.
Source: aajtak
In discussions with the media, Jyoti's father, Harish Malhotra, revealed several key points. Before the lockdown, Jyoti worked at a private company in Gurugram. After quitting her job, she returned to Hisar and began creating travel vlogs on YouTube. Over the last three years, she consistently uploaded travel videos.
Her father admitted that Jyoti traveled to Pakistan. He stated that Jyoti obtained a visa before her journey, with all documents in order. On Thursday morning, around 9:30 AM, a police team of five or six officers, including a woman officer, arrived at their house. They commenced a search without engaging much in conversation.
The police conducted a video recording of the entire house and, after an hour-long search, left with Jyoti. According to Manish Malhotra, the police seized three mobile phones, a laptop, bank passbooks, copies of fixed deposits, and Jyoti's passport from their residence.
READ ALSO: Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra among 6 arrested on espionage charges for Pakistan
Manish Malhotra shared that Jyoti is currently under five-day police custody, with three days elapsed. During interrogation, police revealed that Jyoti visited Pakistan once, completing the process with a visa and passport. Prior to her travel, Jyoti underwent a background check, receiving clearance from the CID.
He also mentioned that while he is not very familiar with her YouTube channel, Jyoti has been actively creating travel-related content on social media for the past few years.
According to the police, in 2023, Jyoti traveled to Pakistan with a visa. She visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi for the visa, where she met an officer named Ehsaan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish. This meeting marked the beginning of her connection with Pakistan. Subsequently, she traveled to Pakistan twice, meeting some intelligence officers during her visits.
Stored Number as 'Jat Randhawa'
The investigation unearthed that Jyoti had saved the phone number of a Pakistani agent, Shakir, as 'Jat Randhawa' in her phone to avoid suspicion. She maintained continuous contact using social media platforms like Snapchat, Telegram, and WhatsApp, sharing anti-national information.
Police Uncover Key Evidence
According to DSP Kamaljit, some suspicious documents were found on Jyoti's laptop and mobile, currently under scrutiny. He stated that Jyoti is under a five-day police remand for interrogation. The initial investigation clarifies that she was in contact with Pakistani nationals, sharing sensitive information with them.
Jyoti's Social Media Activity
Jyoti was quite active on social media and created some videos in Pakistan, which are now under investigation. The police are examining all her digital activities over the past two years. Currently, they aim to dig deeper into the case, scrutinizing her trips to Pakistan, her activities there, and all her interactions upon their return to India.
Recent Developments:
The local community is shocked by the news.
