Youtuber Jyoti Malhotra, arrested on espionage charges, has had her judicial custody extended until June 23rd. Investigation into Pakistan connection and ISI links intensifies.
New Delhi. A court has extended the judicial custody of Youtuber Jyoti Malhotra, arrested on serious espionage charges, by 14 days. The next hearing is scheduled for June 23rd.
A case has been registered against Jyoti under sections 152 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. Under these sections, sharing sensitive information related to national security is a punishable offense. Investigating agencies claim that Jyoti shared information related to India's strategic interests with her Pakistani contacts.
Contact with a former Pakistani police officer
The investigation revealed that Jyoti Malhotra was in contact with Nasir Dhillon, a retired Sub-Inspector of the Pakistan Police. Nasir himself runs a YouTube channel and has been in contact with some Indian YouTubers. Agencies suspect that Nasir, at the behest of the ISI and the Pakistani army, befriended Indian YouTubers and attempted to obtain intelligence information from them.
According to the agencies, Nasir met Jyoti in Pakistan, and they had several video calls and online conversations. They also did a podcast together, which is available on YouTube. Based on this, investigating agencies began monitoring Jyoti's social media activities and gathered evidence related to espionage.
Monitoring of social media activities
Jyoti Malhotra's YouTube channel, 'Travel with Jo,' is quite popular, with over 3.77 lakh subscribers. She also has 1.32 lakh followers on Instagram. In recent months, she has travelled to India, Indonesia, China, and Pakistan. Videos of her Pakistan trip, posted two months ago, became a matter of concern for investigating agencies.
Investigations are ongoing into the people she met during these travels, the information shared, and whether it has any connection to national security.
Increased scrutiny of YouTubers by security agencies
This case is not limited to just one YouTuber. In recent years, it has been observed that external elements are using social media to contact Indian citizens, especially influential social media figures. Investigating agencies are now monitoring the activities of content creators active on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms, especially when they undertake foreign travel or upload content related to any controversial area.
Questions and revelations in the podcast
Investigating agencies have found several pieces of evidence against Nasir Dhillon. When questioned in a podcast about allegations of being an ISI agent, he tried to dismiss them with a laugh. However, his connections with some YouTubers in India and his alleged espionage plans through them are already recorded in the agencies' records.
