Jyoti Malhotra confesses to being in touch with Pak official before Pahalgam attack: Cops
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has confessed to being in regular contact with a staff member of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
According to Hisar Police spokesperson Vikas Kumar, Malhotra admitted during interrogation that she had been in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a Pakistani national and official at the High Commission, from November 2023 to March 2025. Authorities believe that Danish was actively working to develop Malhotra as an intelligence asset.
"She confessed to her direct communication with Danish during this period," Kumar stated. "She was also in contact with several other YouTube influencers. Her three mobile phones and laptop, along with two phones belonging to Harkirat Singh, the IT in-charge of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), have been sent for forensic examination."
Sources revealed that Jyoti Malhotra was questioned extensively by officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) regarding her suspected links to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs). Her connections and communications are now at the center of a broader investigation.
A senior Hisar police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, 'She has multiple bank accounts, and there have been numerous transactions. Analyzing the financial data will take time.'
Investigators are also scrutinizing Malhotra's international travel history. Records show she obtained her passport in 2018, valid until 2028, and has traveled to several countries including Pakistan, China, Dubai, Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Indonesia.
Police are preparing to present Malhotra before a local court on Wednesday, where they will seek an extension of her remand for continued interrogation.
Jyoti was among 12 people who were arrested from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the past two weeks on charges of espionage, with investigators pointing at an alleged Pakistan-linked spy network operating in north India.
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