YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was in touch with Pakistan operatives; no links to terror: Police

 Police say Jyoti Malhotra knowingly contacted Pakistani intelligence operatives, but no proof of terror links found.

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Hisar – Hisar-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, arrested on espionage charges, was knowingly in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) but no evidence has been found of links to terrorist activity or associations with known terrorist groups, police said on Wednesday.

Hisar Superintendent of Police said that Malhotra did not seem to have any knowledge about the armed forces or their plans. However, despite being aware that some of her contacts were Pakistani intelligence operatives, she continued to remain in touch with them.

“So far, we have not found any evidence of her involvement in any terror activity or her alignment with any terrorist group. We have not found any document which depicts that she wants to marry any PIOs or wants to change religion,” the SP added.

Malhotra’s three mobile phones, a laptop and electronic gadgets, and two mobile phones belonging to Harkirat Singh — a visa agent arrested on May 18 — have been sent to a laboratory for analysis.

“The work of analysis is not assigned to Hisar police. She was taken on five-day police remand and during this time some central agencies also probed her but her custody was not given to any other agency. The pages of her ‘diary’ shown in public domain, were not recovered by us. We don’t have any diary,” he added.

The 33-year-old travel blogger was arrested on May 16 for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani operatives. She was booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act.

During the remand period, she was questioned by officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB).

A day earlier, Hisar police spokesman Vikas Kumar had said Malhotra was in touch with Danish, a Pakistani high commission official expelled from India on May 13, from November 2023 to March 2025.

“Danish was developing her as an asset. She was in touch with other YouTube influencers,” he added.

Kumar said Malhotra was introduced to Danish at the Pakistan High Commission by Singh when she went to apply for a visa to Pakistan.