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Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was in contact with people knowing that they were Pak intel operatives: Haryana Police
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
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
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
News18
21-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Jyoti Malhotra Case: Haryana Police Denies Access To Sensitive Info, No Terror Links Confirmed
Last Updated: Haryana Police on Wednesday dismissed reports that Jyoti Malhotra had access to any sensitive information and her direct involvement in any terror acts was yet to be proved. The arrest of 33-year-old YouTuber and travel blogger, Jyoti Malhotra, from Haryana, on charges of espionage for Pakistan has sent shockwaves across the country, coming at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists were killed. However, Haryana Police on Wednesday shared fresh details about the espionage case, saying that the accused was in contact with some individuals. However, the cops ruled out Malhotra's access to secret and sensitive information about the army or India's defence systems. In an official statement, Hisar Police said it had seized three mobile phones, one laptop and some other electronic devices from the accused. Additionally, police have also called Harkirat, a resident of Kurukshetra, for questioning. 'Harkirat offered visa services. Police have confiscated two mobile phones from Harkirat. So far, he has not been arrested. The mobile phones, laptop and electronic devices seized from Jyoti and Harkirat have been sent to the forensic lab for analysis," they said. ज्योति मल्होत्रा के केस में आधिकारिक प्रेस नोट। भ्रामक खबरों से बचे – पुलिस अधीक्षक हिसार। @police_haryana @shashanksawan @aajtak @ABPNews @ZeeNews #Police #news — Hisar Police (@HissarPolice) May 21, 2025 Police said the entire investigation is being conducted by Hisar Police while several central investigation agencies are questioning the accused from time to time, but they have not been granted custody. 'No Access To Sensitive Information' Hisar police also said it did not have custody of the diary purportedly belonging to Malhotra, which is believed to offer a detailed account of her interactions and deep ties with Pakistan. The police also stated that there is no evidence to suggest that the individuals she was in contact with had any links to a terrorist organisation. Malhotra's direct involvement in any terrorist incidents is also yet to be ascertained. The police also rejected reports of the accused's marriage, religious conversion with any PIO (Person of Indian Origin). Jyoti Malhotra was arrested on May 17 after the police suspected she was allegedly was in contact with a Pakistani staffer working at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. She also allegedly revealed details that could potentially be harmful to national security, officials said. She was sent to a five-day police custody. Her YouTube channel and Instagram accounts have 3.77 lakh subscribers and 1.33 lakh followers respectively. First Published: May 21, 2025, 22:36 IST
India Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Haryana YouTuber was lured to push pro-Pak content, called it free speech: Cops
Arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra showed no signs of remorse during questioning or indicated that she had even made a mistake, while maintaining that she was merely exercising her freedom of speech, sources revealed to India Today Pahalgam terror attack, Jyoti, who has 3.85 lakh subscribers on YouTube, put out a video claiming that it was not the fault of any was asked to push the pro-Pakistani narrative, which is a new form of warfare," sources added. During the course of the investigation, it was further revealed that Jyoti was allegedly given additional tasks by her Pakistani handlers. The police are currently probing this from the narrative push angle, the police are also probing if Jyoti had leaked information on any sensitive military or non-military assets to Pakistani intel to the police, other friends of Jyoti, including travel influencers -- especially those who visited Pakistan -- are also under investigation. Earlier, the Haryana Police revealed that she was being developed as an asset to push pro-Pakistani has travelled to Pakistan three times -- in 2023, 2024, and in March 2025, ahead of the Pahalgam terror visits to Pakistan and Kashmir within a short timeframe are also under scrutiny, particularly to determine whether she was directed to upload travel videos featuring specific locations or an initial probe has revealed that Harkirat Singh, one of the 11 suspects who was charged with spying for Pakistan, had introduced Jyoti to Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an official at the Pakistani Embassy in New Delhi who was expelled last week, sources told India Today who is a part of Haryana's Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee's employee, had helped Jyoti twice to get a visa and sent her across the border as part of a jatha, a group of Sikh pilgrims who travel to Pakistan four times annually on religious phone has been seized, and an investigation is underway. Harkirat will be asked to join the investigation once officials go through the electronic evidence, sources said. On Sunday, Harkirat was released after questioning.
