Any link with spy network will be taken seriously: Min
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Monday said strict legal action will be taken if anyone is found leaking sensitive information to operatives in Pakistan. Harichandan's statement came amid police investigation into the potential links between a Puri-based YouTuber and Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on the charge of passing on sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Speaking to reporters here, Harichandan said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting the probe on sharing sensitive information with the neighbouring country. 'Anyone found connected to this network will face investigation. Strict action will be taken against those involved -- whether they were directly involved in espionage or were assisting such activities in any form. No one will be spared,' the minister asserted. When asked about possible links of the Odisha YouTuber in the alleged espionage case, he said, 'If at all there is a link, the NIA will do its job properly. If any link is established, the matter will be taken very seriously and the situation will be dealt with accordingly.'
'YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested by Haryana Police, had visited Jagannath temple in Puri, besides Konark and Chilka in Odisha. She was in touch with an Odisha-based YouTuber. We are verifying the facts and nothing substantial has come out till now,' IGP, Crime Branch, Sarthak Sarangi said.
After the matter came to the fore, in a social media post, the woman YouTuber from Puri, Priyanka Senapati, said, 'Jyoti was just a friend of mine, and I came in contact with her through YouTube. I was unaware of anything which she is accused of. I would not have been in touch with her had I known that she was spying for enemy Pakistan.'
'If any investigative agency wishes to cross-question me, I would provide full cooperation. Nation is above all. Jai Hind,' she wrote in an Instagram post.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
21 minutes ago
- India Today
Indian delegation meets US Vice President JD Vance, Pakistan's claims on terrorism debunked
The Indian delegation led by Shashi Tharoor met US Vice President J.D. Vance, securing a high-level meeting in Washington DC. The Pakistani delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, made claims about terrorism which were refuted by Tharoor. The show also covered the apparent rift between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Trump's conversations with Putin and Xi Jinping, and Meta's deal for nuclear power to fuel AI innovations.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Lahore woman recruiting Indian visa seekers for ISI espionage and propaganda: Intel
New Delhi: Investigators probing the recent cases of espionage have identified a Lahore-based woman with ties to the Pakistani Army and intelligence agency ISI. She used to trap visa seekers and get them to work for ISI, sources claimed. Naushaba Masood, who runs a travel agency in Pakistan, facilitated visas for those who 'cooperated' and supplied them with SIM cards to begin with. The return favours included a range of tasks, beginning with shooting pro-Pakistan videos and uploading them on YouTube to create a favourable narrative. This was a calculated move by ISI to expand its influence through a dual strategy of intelligence gathering and propaganda dissemination. Some of the arrested suspects had Masood's Pakistani number (+92321044****) saved in their phones under the moniker Madam N. Masood worked with her husband, a retired civil service officer, to set up a network of spies in India, sources said. Investigation revealed that she coordinated with Suhail Qamar, first secretary (visa), and Umar Sheryar, counsellor (trade), besides ISI operative Danish alias Ehsan-ur-Rehman. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Masood figured in the interrogation of several suspects and had the reputation of being able to provide a Pak visa 'with a single phone call'. "She lured social media influencers and YouTubers to Pakistan by offering them a free trip, and once they arrived, she would introduce them to Pakistani Army and ISI officials. She specifically targeted individuals from the Hindu and Sikh communities," said a source. The investigation also revealed that in the last six months, Masood facilitated the entry of around 2,500 Indians to Pakistan. "The accused disclosed that she was in direct contact with the seniors at the Pakistani high commission in Delhi and could get visas approved instantly by calling the officials in charge of visa-related matters," said an investigator. The investigator added, "It has been discovered that Masood also handled tours for Sikh and Hindu pilgrims to Pakistan. After charging excessive amounts from the pilgrims, she utilised the additional funds for promoting Pakistan's interests and supporting ISI activities. Masood had agents stationed in several Indian cities, including Delhi, who promoted her travel agency through social media and other means. These agents were used to lure new individuals into her network." Several Pakistani bank accounts have also been traced and these were used to transfer funds from India. The transactions and money trail are being probed. Multiple suspects, including those arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell recently, confessed that they provided their handlers Indian SIMs and the OTPs to activate WhatsApp in exchange for visas and money. This enabled the Pakistani handlers to operate WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging platforms from Indian SIM cards, masking their real identities.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"Do not take our patience for granted...": Shashi Tharoor warns Pakistan of misadventures against India
Washington DC [US], June 5 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leader of the all-party delegation, explained India's actions against terrorism on Thursday while interacting with young professionals and individuals. Tharoor noted that the diverse all-party delegation has come with a message of being united against terrorism. Speaking about India's response in the wake of the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor said, 'We responded as we felt we had no choice but to do so, and we sought understanding and solidarity on that. And I'm very pleased to say that everywhere we went, and I could say this quite confidently without exception, we have received both of what we sought. We have received understanding, and we have received solidarity. And these two things are really what we came for. And we will continue to meet others in the remaining time today and tomorrow.' He stressed that India is focused on growth and development but noted that the country will not tolerate cross-border terrorism. He warned Pakistan that there would be a price to pay for such actions. Noting that India is focused on developing itself, Tharoor said, 'This is not something we would have wanted to spend our time on. We are a country focused on growth and development. Our focus has entirely been on the economic advances essential to pull a few people who remain below the poverty line in our country, out of poverty and to take the rest into the developed India of our dreams. But sadly, when this kind of thing is done to us, and for very cynical motives, which I think are pretty apparent, so I won't spell them out, we need to show that we will not allow people to cross the border and kill our citizens with impunity. That for terror strikes like this, which show all the hallmarks of meticulous planning and military style execution, there will be a price to pay. And that was very strongly the message that we sent.' Tharoor warned that if Pakistan continues to instigate or direct terror attacks, India will hit back hard. 'If Pakistan leave us alone, we're very happy to leave them alone. But if they allowed this to happen again, or they actually instigate it and direct it as this one seemed to have been, they will be hit back. We will hit back very not here to blow up the countries or the world or whatever. We're here to just say do not take our patience for granted...,' said Tharoor. Tharoor also acknowledged China's significant stakes in Pakistan, noting that 81% of Pakistan's offensive equipment comes from China. 'We are aware that China has immense stakes in Pakistan. According to published sources, we also know that 81 per cent of Pakistani offensive equipment is from China. The weapon systems are from China, and so China is an absolutely impossible factor to ignore in our confrontation with Pakistan,' said the Congress leader. He emphasised that India is aware of the challenges in its neighbourhood and will maintain open communication channels, even with adversaries. Tharoor added, 'We have no illusions about the challenges in our neighbourhood. India has consistently chosen to keep open channels and communication even with our adversaries. We have tried to focus on development, growth, and trade as much as possible. Our trade with China is still at record levels. It's not that we are adopting a posture of hostility, but we will be naive not to be aware of these other currents around it.' Earlier in the day, the Indian delegation also paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. The delegation also interacted with the US Vice President, JD Vance. The Indian Embassy in the US shared details of the meeting on X. The All Party Parliamentary Delegation led by Dr. ShashiTharoor called on Vice President JD Vance @VP this morning. The conversation focused on strengthening the India - US partnership including cooperation in counter-terrorism domain. Shashi Tharoor is leading the all-party delegation which includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from the BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. The all-party delegation reached the US after completing their visit to Brazil. Their purpose is to brief key US stakeholders on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic effort launched to combat terrorism and disinformation following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)
