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Haryana Police have filed a chargesheet in court against YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old vlogger from Hisar, after completing their investigation in an alleged espionage case, officials said on Saturday.
The court has fixed the next hearing for August 18. Speaking to ANI, her lawyer Advocate Kumar Mukesh said, "The investigation against Jyoti has been completed, and a chargesheet has been filed in court. Now, the court has scheduled the next appearance for 18 August. Possibly, Jyoti will be taken to protection remand, and as per the rule process, the chargesheet copy will be provided to Jyoti..." "We will review the chargesheet to determine if it contains any evidence, and based on that, we will prepare for the date application. As of now, the police do not disclose any information regarding her connection with ISI..." he added. Investigations revealed that Malhotra had travelled to Pakistan multiple times and established contacts with officials from Pakistani intelligence agencies, including personnel from the Pakistan High Commission. One such official was later expelled by India after their association came to light. She is among 12 people arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in a coordinated crackdown on a suspected spy ring that allegedly targeted Indian social media influencers to gather intelligence. Malhotra's YouTube channel, 'Travel with Jo', hosts over 480 videos, many of which are from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand. According to officials, Jyoti allegedly met a Pakistani officer, Ahsan-ur-Rahim, in Delhi, travelled to Pakistan twice, and shared sensitive information. During the preliminary investigation, the woman told the police that she went to the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023 to apply for a visa and met a man named Ahsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish. Malhotra, a resident of Haryana's Hisar, was arrested in May this year for allegedly sharing sensitive information and being in continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen. At that time, Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan had told the media, "Modern warfare is not only fought on the border. The PIOs are trying to recruit some social media influencers, and they use that to push their narrative. We received inputs from the central agencies, and we arrested Jyoti Malhotra." "She had visited Pakistan multiple times and China once. She was in contact with the PIOs. We have taken her on a 5-day police remand. We are analysing her financial details. During the conflict (Indo-Pak), she was in touch with the PIOs... Her travel details are defying her total income..." he said. (ANI)
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