|
The Supreme Court on Friday denied bail to travel vlogger and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, accused of sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and SC Sharma, denying bail to Malhotra, said that there can be no compromise with national security. The bench observed that there are "very serious" charges against her, and any defence she has is a subject matter of trial. As the counsel appearing for Malhotra contended that she was arrested on May 16, 2025, and had remained in custody for more than a year despite having no previous criminal antecedents, the bench said the allegations involved issues of national security. The bench underscored that matters concerning national security cannot be treated lightly, noting the allegations that the accused had travelled to a neighbouring country and remained in regular contact with a person here whom the government had ordered to leave India. She has challenged a Punjab and Haryana High Court order denying her bail on March 7. Malhotra, who hails from Hisar in Haryana, ran a YouTube channel called 'Travel with Jo' and is accused of sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives. An FIR was registered against her on charges related to acts endangering the sovereignty and integrity of the nation after the Haryana Police allegedly obtained evidence of her interactions with an official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Investigators claimed that she subsequently travelled to Pakistan, where she allegedly met individuals associated with the country's security and intelligence agencies, whose identities she is said to have revealed during interrogation. (ANI)
|
