Latest news with #ex-Pakistan
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, accused of spying for Pakistan, to appear before Hisar court today
YouTuber and social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on suspicion of spying for Pakistani agents, will be brought before a court in Hisar on Monday, as her four-day police remand ends. The local court had extended the police remand of social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra by four days, after her initial five-day custody ended last Thursday. Malhotra, 33, is one of 12 people arrested earlier this month from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The arrests were linked to a suspected spy ring with alleged ties to Pakistan. Hisar police said on Wednesday that they have not found any proof that Malhotra had access to military or defense secrets. However, they claimed she was in contact with people she knew were Pakistan intelligence agents. '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,' Hisar Superintendent of Police added. Also read: YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was in touch with Pakistan operatives; no links to terror: Police Police sources had earlier said that she had been in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, an employee at the Pakistani High Commission in India, since November 2023. Danish was expelled by the Indian government on May 13 for allegedly being involved in spying activities. Police have sent her three mobile phones and a laptop for forensic tests. They are also probing into four of her bank accounts. Also read: How ex-Pakistan high commission staffer Danish targeted YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Meanwhile, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and military intelligence have also questioned Malhotra after she was booked booked under the relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigations show that Malhotra has traveled to Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and a few other countries in recent years. Police say Pakistani agents were trying to recruit her as a spy. She was reportedly in contact with Danish during a recent four-day military standoff between India and Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. Also read: Why YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's father failed to meet her in court Last week, Malhotra's father questioned the repeated extensions of her police remand. 'They had taken her on a five-day remand earlier. Now, she's been given four more days. They didn't find anything before, so what will they find now?' he told news agency IANS. Jyoti Malhotra runs a travel YouTube channel called 'Travel with JO' and was arrested from the New Aggarsain Extension area in Hisar under espionage charges.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rahul Gandhi seen with Jyoti Malhotra? Here's the truth behind the viral photo
A morphed photograph linking YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra – who has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan – and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has gone viral. Several X users shared the photo purportedly showing Malhotra posing with the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, with angry messages and attacks. "Jyoti Malhotra from Haryana, who was caught spying for Pakistan, is with Rahul Gandhi. What a strange coincidence that every traitor and anti-national is seen with Rahul Gandhi! Is Rahul Gandhi the mastermind behind the turmoil happening in the country?" wrote a user on X. A simple Google image search shows that the original photograph was published by several media outlets in 2018. At the time, Malhotra had not even started her YouTube career. The reverse image search of the morphed photo shows that former Congress leader Aditi Singh was wearing the same saree in the same setting while posing with Rahul Gandhi. The photo has the same angle, and even the person standing in the background is the same. Also read: How ex-Pakistan high commission staffer Danish targeted YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra The photo with Aditi Singh was published years ago. Aditi Singh had shared the same photo on social media in 2017. Many fact-checking agencies also declared the photograph 'morphed'. Aditi Singh, a former Congress lawmaker from Rae Bareli, joined the BJP in 2021. She currently represents the Rae Bareli Sadar seat as a BJP MLA. Jyoti Malhotra was arrested last month for allegedly spying for Pakistan. She had been in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, the Pakistani staffer at the Pakistani High Commission, since November 2023 and was allegedly passing on sensitive information and trying to sculpt a positive image of the country on social media. Danish was expelled by India on May 13 for allegedly indulging in espionage. The National Investigation Agency, the Intelligence Bureau, and military intelligence officials have questioned Jyoti. The police said she was being developed as a Pakistani asset. She has 3.9 lakh subscribers on YouTube. So far, it's been revealed that she has visited Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and some other countries. Jyoti 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 inputs from PTI
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Why YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's father failed to meet her in court
Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who has been arrested for allegedly spying for Islamabad and being in touch with Pakistani officials, was produced in a Hisar court on Thursday. Her father, Harish Malhotra, who wanted to see his daughter, also reached the court. However, by the time he had reached, Jyoti had already left, The Tribune reported. Harish Malhotra said someone gave him the wrong time. "I was told that she would be produced in court in the afternoon, so I went there then. But by the time I reached the venue, she had already left. Someone gave me the wrong timing," the report quoted him as saying. Also read: Police grill YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra over Jagannath, Mahakaleshwar temple visits Jyoti Malhotra was produced before the court of civil judge (junior division) Sunil Kumar in Haryana amid heavy security around 9.30 am and remained there until nearly 11 am. During the hearing, Jyoti's police custody was extended by four days while the police sought a seven-day remand. The YouTuber, 33, who hails from Haryana's Hisar, was arrested on May 16 on charges of allegedly spying for Pakistan. She was produced in a local court the next day and was sent to a five-day police custody. She was taken to the court on Thursday after her five-day remand ended. Jyoti has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She is among several people arrested from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh over the last few weeks over espionage charges. Also read: How ex-Pakistan high commission staffer Danish targeted YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra So far, no evidence has emerged indicating that Jyoti had access to any sensitive information related to military or defence. However, she was definitely in touch with some Pakistani officials, according to Hisar police. Jyoti Malhotra runs a YouTube channel called 'Travel with JO' where she shares her travel vlogs. She has uploaded several videos of her visit to Pakistan on her channel. With inputs from Sunil Rahar.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi man arrested on espionage charges had visited Pakistan days before Pahalgam terror attack: Family
Mohammad Harun, a resident of Seelampur in Delhi, visited Pakistan 17 days before the Pahalgam terror attack, his family claimed, news agency ANI reported. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had earlier arrested him on charges of spying and maintaining links with Pakistani agents. The arrest comes amid a broader ATS crackdown on alleged anti-national activities linked to Pakistan. Mohammad Harun has been charged with spying and maintaining links with Pakistani agents, including officials connected to Islamabad's government and military. Harun's family claimed he is innocent and was taken without explanation. Talking to reporters, his brother Md Sahid said Harun went with them, but the family lost contact with him soon after. 'When we called, the phone rang a few times and then switched off,' he added. Also read: YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was in touch with Pakistan operatives; no links to terror: Police 'Two people came to Harun's house in civilian uniform, but he wasn't home. They met me and said they were from the passport office. They told me that those who had returned from Pakistan were being called for questioning and would be sent back afterwards,' his brother said. Sahid further said Harun had visited Pakistan on April 5, and he returned on the 25th of the same month, as he is 'married' there. The timing of his visit, just before the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, has raised further questions. Also read: How ex-Pakistan high commission staffer Danish targeted YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra 'My husband is innocent,' said Harun's wife, Shabana, claiming that he used to visit his wife in Pakistan and handle visa matters, which were always cleared after proper checks. She alleged that the authorities did not let his family meet before his arrest. The accused's mother, Rukaiya Begum, suggested her son was misled by a contact named Mujammil during visa-related work. 'He used to go to Pakistan once a year because of his second marriage. If he was under watch for three months, why wasn't he stopped at the border?' she asked. 'I have been living here since I was 12. Harun never said anything suspicious,' news agency ANI quoted Begum, as saying. Also read: Uttar Pradesh ATS arrests Varanasi resident for allegedly spying for Pakistan In a separate case, the ATS arrested Tufail, son of Maqsood Alam from Varanasi's Doshipura area. Officials say he was part of a WhatsApp group run by Pakistan-backed networks that promoted extremist views and shared sensitive information.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Police grill YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra over Jagannath, Mahakaleshwar temple visits
Police have questioned Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra regarding her visits to the Shree Jagannath temple in Puri and the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain amid allegations of her being a spy for Pakistani authorities. Puri Police are in the process of verifying allegations concerning Jyoti Malhotra, which claim that she had flown a drone over the Shree Jagannath temple during her visit to Puri in 2024, flouting a ban on UAVs around the sacred space. Also Read: Cops issue big remark on Jyoti Malhotra's plans to 'marry in Pakistan' A team of five Madhya Pradesh police personnel went to Haryana, where Malhotra had been kept in custody after her arrest, to question her after getting information that she had visited the Mahakaleshwar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Ujjain in April last year. Ujjain Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nitesh Bhargava told PTI that so far nothing incriminating had been discovered during the YouTuber's questioning. Also Read: YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was in touch with Pakistan operatives; no links to terror: Police "The place is very sensitive and sees a huge number of footfalls daily, including devotees from overseas. So it was important to grill her. We took suo motu (on its own motion) action to send a team to Hisar (where she is being grilled by different agencies)," he said. Bhargava added, 'We have not got any suspicious things (in connection to her Ujjain visit) as of now. It (questioning) was just our precautionary exercise. What was the harm in it?' Also Read: How ex-Pakistan high commission staffer Danish targeted YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Meanwhile, the Odisha government announced on Friday that were considering installing an anti-drone system to bolster security at the temple and prevent the entry of unauthorised or 'malicious' UAVs. 'We are mulling over the idea of installing an anti-drone system for added security of the Puri temple, as done by defence establishments,' the state's law minister Prithviraj Harichandan told PTI. 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 National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials. Malhotra had allegedly been in touch with Danish, a Pakistani high commission official expelled from India on May 13, from November 2023 to March 2025. She was introduced to Danish at the Pakistan High Commission by Singh when she went to apply for a visa to Pakistan. Several other YouTubers have also been questioned regarding connections to Pakistan, including Odisha-based travel blogger Priyanka Senapati, who had escorted Malhotra around Puri during the latter's visit to Odisha.
