A Hisar court on Monday extended the judicial custody of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who is facing charges under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, until September 3.
Judicial magistrate (first class) Sunil Kumar passed the order after Malhotra was produced in court. “She has been remanded to judicial custody till September 3,” said her lawyer Kumar Mukesh.
Arrest & Allegations
Malhotra, who hails from Hisar and runs a travel-focused YouTube channel called Travel with JO, was arrested on May 16 by the Hisar Police from the New Aggarsain Extension area. She was accused of allegedly maintaining contact with individuals linked to Pakistani intelligence.
She was booked under multiple provisions, including the Official Secrets Act. Police have described her arrest as part of an investigation into possible espionage activities, though they acknowledged no defence or military documents were found in her possession.
Pakistani High Commission Link Alleged
According to police sources, Malhotra had been in touch since November 2023 with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an official working at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. Danish was expelled from India on May 13, just days before Malhotra’s arrest, for alleged spying activities.
Investigators claimed Pakistani operatives were attempting to “develop Malhotra as an asset,” though they admitted the probe had not revealed any classified material being shared.
Bail Plea Rejected
Malhotra’s plea for regular bail was turned down by the court on June 9, with police arguing that the investigation was ongoing and releasing her could hamper the process.
The police maintain that while no sensitive information has been recovered, her alleged knowledge of and contact with Pakistani intelligence officials remains under scrutiny.
The case has attracted attention due to the unusual profile of the accused—a travel vlogger with no known defence links. Officials say they are examining her digital communications and travel history to assess the extent of any security risk.
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