Haryana vlogger was in contact with people knowing that they were Pak intel operatives: cops
The Haryana Police Wednesday said that till now no such fact has come to light to show that YouTuber Jyoti Rani Malhotra had access to any military, defence or strategic information or that she was in contact with any terrorist organization.
The 33-year-old vlogger from Haryana was arrested on May 16 for allegedly spying for Pakistani intelligence agencies.
Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan said that the accused was in contact with some people knowing that they are Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs). 'But till now no such fact has come to light directly which can be said that the accused was in contact with any terrorist organization. No fact has come to light so far regarding the accused's involvement in any terrorist incidents,' added the SP.
The SP said the police seized three mobile phones, a laptop and some other electronic devices from the accused.
Along with this, Harkirat, a resident of Kurukshetra, was also called for questioning. Harkirat provides visa services. Police seized two mobile phones from Harkirat. Harkirat has not been arrested yet. The mobile phones, laptops and electronic devices recovered from Jyoti and Harkirat have been sent to the forensic lab for investigation where analysis is going on. The result of the analysis has not been handed over to the Hisar Police yet.
SP Sawan said that no comment can be made about Malhotra's WhatsApp chats as of now. The Hisar SP also made it cleat that the entire case is being investigated by Hisar Police and the accused is in the custody of Hisar Police. Some central investigation agencies are questioning the accused from time to time but the custody of the accused has not been handed over to any of these agencies.
'No facts have yet emerged about the accused having access to any military, defence or strategic information. In-depth analysis of the accused's 4 bank accounts is going on. No comment can be made about the money transactions as of now,' he added.
Malhotra has a YouTube channel called Travel with Jo with over 3,77,000 subscribers and an Instagram account with over 1,32,000 followers.
'She visited Pakistan multiple times and also went to China once. We are analysing her financial transactions and travel details. She was in touch with PIOs (Pakistan Intelligence Operatives). She did not have direct access to military or defence information, though Hisar is a strategic location,' the SP had stated earlier.
Sawan said one of her Pakistan visits was 'sponsored'. 'She met some high-profile persons during the visit. Why and what information was shared; all these things are being probed.'
The police also said she possibly 'fell into a trap for views and likes' and 'her travel details show more expenses than her known sources of income'.
Malhotra is among 12 people who have been arrested from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the past two weeks on charges of espionage, with investigators suspecting the presence of a Pakistan-linked spy network operating in north India.
Meanwhile, YouTuber Navankur Chaudhary, another person under scrutiny for espionage, has said that he was ready to fully cooperate with any investigation agency and asserted that a fake narrative was being spread against him.
Chaudhary, who hails from Rohtak, has also claimed that Malhotra had met him as a fan at an event at Pakistan High Commission.
'I did not know Jyoti personally before that day. I had never met her earlier,' he said.
In a video on X, Chaudhary, who runs the YouTube channel 'Yatri Doctor', said he has visited Pakistan just once.
His father said on Wednesday, 'A media trial is going on. Our entire family is going through a tough time. I am a bank employee, but have been unable to attend office due to this. Both me and his (Navankur) mother have not had food for the past two days.' The man added, 'So far, he has visited 144 countries and his objective is to visit the entire world and he visited Pakistan once. At present, he is in Ireland.'
Sukhbir Siwach's extensive and in-depth coverage of farmer agitation against three farm laws during 2020-21 drew widespread attention. ... Read More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
36 minutes ago
- NDTV
Is This How India Will 'Dehyphenate' Itself From Pakistan?
"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on," said Yossarian, the 'hero' of Joseph Heller's 1961 cult classic Catch-22. This absurdly dark and hilarious novel, set during the Second World War, contains some of the most astute observations on war and peace, a theme for our times. Or all times. Apart from one's own commanders, like Colonel Cathcart of Catch-22, the enemy could also be suboptimal actions driven by fallacious estimations of self. While our armed forces, as commanded, demonstrated their professionalism and precision, the same has been seen as lacking from other quarters in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Despite India's consistent attempts at keeping the Kashmir issue out of the arena of international interference, Pakistan has doubled down on its efforts to the contrary and achieved at least some degree of success. India, regrettably, has also got 're-hyphenated' with Pakistan despite our government's forceful iterations that the victims and perpetrators of terrorism cannot be treated at par by the international community. Pak Is No Match The irony of the current situation is that India may have played some part in bringing this rehyphenation upon itself. Rather than setting the paradigm, India is seen as playing catch-up in its diplomatic oeuvre. Immediately after the high offices of the Pakistani government, including Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, embarked on their international mission to convince the world about India's alleged aggression, seven all-party committees were dispatched by India to different parts of the world. We are yet to see what such delegations have achieved for the long run, apart from generating newsy moments. As the world's fourth-largest economy, India has a stature that Pakistan can only aspire to achieve. Sharif's statement about India being more wary of the cost of war than Pakistan because the latter is still in a struggling phase is darkly humorous and unintentionally ingenious. It doesn't behove a superpower like India to be following Pakistan's diplomatic footsteps. The soon-to-retire chief of the Florida-based United States Central Command, General Michael E. Kurilla, has recently called Pakistan a "phenomenal partner" whose value "will only increase as the Taliban continues to face security challenges within its borders". President Donald Trump, too, has been underscoring how the US values its "beautiful" relationship with both India and Pakistan, which have "great" leaders. Rather than dismissing this 'both-siding' as classic Trump balderdash, India should devise a robust plan to offset Pakistan's geopolitical arm-twisting of the West. Pak's Sneaky Ways The Afghanistan-Pakistan hyphenation is what has been driving the West's response to Islamabad's backing of the terror outfits in Kashmir and other parts of India. Pakistan has managed to convince the West, especially the US, of its indispensable status in eliminating actors that pose a direct threat to people and property in the Global North. India's renewed engagement with the Taliban, short of recognising them, has only limited potential to counter Pakistan's perceived value as a partner of the West to counter terrorist threats originating from Central and South Asia. The spectre of ISIS-K looms large on any Western attempt at holding Pakistan responsible for terror activities in India. Pakistan has utilised multilateral platforms, such as the UN, to its utmost benefit. Currently, as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Pakistan serves as the Chair of the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee, Vice Chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee, and Co-Chair of two informal working groups. It is also set to become the rotational president of the UNSC in July. While these positions do not hold any substantive powers, Pakistan can be expected to initiate meetings and debates to internationalise the Kashmir issue. The Kashmir Question India may have brushed these concerns away in the past, upholding its policy of keeping Kashmir as an internal matter, but it will appear a little hypocritical now. Once you reach out to the world with an aim to share your side of the story, you cannot accuse the other party of doing the same. There has been a spirit of tentativeness with which multilateral platforms have treated India-Pakistan tensions. A large number of nations are not even aware of Kashmir and the eight-decade-long dispute over it. All they have perhaps seen is a half-hearted inscription on UN maps showing the border between the two countries. More importantly, India can no longer claim that it does not care for the "opinion" of the international community, particularly the US, when it was a foreign commander in chief of the armed forces who "announced" - however unwarrantedly - the ceasefire or the "pause" during Operation Sindoor. Classical Greek playwright and master of comedies Aristophanes said, "Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war; and this lesson saves their children, their homes, and their properties". While it may be important to learn from Pakistan the art of conning everyone all the time, India must continue to act like the regional power and global arbiter that it posits itself as.
Mint
44 minutes ago
- Mint
Controversial Instagram influencer Kamal Kaur Bhabhi found dead in suspected murder: Check her last mysterious post
In a shocking incident in Bathinda, Punjab, police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a social media influencer was found inside a parked car near Adesh Medical University on Wednesday night. The deceased, Kanchan Kumari, known to her over 3.84 lakh Instagram followers as 'Kamal Kaur Bhabhi', was well-known for her regular content and often made headlines for sharing bold photos and videos that challenged conservative social norms. Locals reported a foul smell coming from the car parked in the university's lot along the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway. When police arrived and searched the vehicle, they discovered the body of a woman aged around 30 to 35 years. The car was registered in Ludhiana, where Kaur lived. Officials suspect she may have been killed elsewhere and then moved in the car to the spot where she was found. Senior police officers, including SSP Amneet Kondal and SP City Narinder Singh, confirmed that a murder case is being registered. A forensic team has been brought in to assist with the investigation. Kamal Kaur's family has been informed. The discovery has caused a stir in the area, as Kamal was a well-known face on social media. Police are thoroughly investigating the matter to identify the culprits and understand the motive behind her suspected murder. The influencer's last Instagram post was mysterious. She wrote, 'No emotion, no love, no f*ck. Bachia hoya taan bas shakk shakk shakk (what's left is just doubt, doubt and doubt).' Many social media users commented on the photo after the news of her alleged murder had gone viral. Not everyone posted kind remarks. 'Milgea fame?? bc Zindgi nu mjak bna rakhea c ('Got fame?? Bloody hell, you had turned life into a joke),' wrote one user. 'The dirt is less now,' came from another user.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
YouTubers Finny Da Legend and Bubbly fatally shot during livestream in Las Vegas, here's why
Sin-City MannyWise shot Finny Da Legend and his wife Bubbly in Las Vegas (Image via Youtube) A long-running online rivalry between YouTube streamers tragically escalated into a real-world double homicide near the iconic Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas in June 8. YouTuber Rodney Finley, known as "Finny Da Legend," and his wife, Tanisha Finley, known as "Bubbly," were fatally shot during a livestream by a fellow YouTuber Manuel Ruiz, who goes by "SinCity-MannyWise. During the livestream, SinCity-MannyWise approached the couple, leading to a brief exchange before gunfire erupted. Authorities say Finny Da Legend was shot multiple times, while Bubbly was fatally struck in the head. YouTube has since terminated SinCity-MannyWise's channel, "Sin City Family," citing violations of community guidelines. A digital rivalry turns deadly: YouTuber SinCity-MannyWise shoots YouTuber Finny Da Legend The confrontation between Finny Da Legend and SinCity-MannyWise stemmed from years of online disputes, including trolling, copyright strikes, and heated livestream exchanges. Witnesses say the feud escalated in 2023 when SinCity-MannyWise allegedly pepper-sprayed Bubbly during an in-person encounter. The horrifying incident unfolded around 10:40 p.m. on South Las Vegas Boulevard, captured live on Finny Da Legend's YouTube stream before it was later removed by the platform. Officers on routine patrol nearby heard gunfire and rushed to the scene, finding both victims with gunshot wounds. Despite immediate medical aid, both were pronounced deceased at the scene. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Una inversión en Amazon podría darte un salario extra. Undo YouTuber SinCity-MannyWise claims self defence After turning himself in, SinCity-MannyWise told the court that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Finny Da Legend made a threatening motion and reached toward his waistband. He also admitted to shooting Bubbly, believing she had a weapon—later identified as a phone gimbal. The judge denied bail, and SinCity-MannyWise remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center as the case unfolds. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
