Hisar court sends YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra to 14-day judicial custody

A Hisar court on Monday sent YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who is under investigation for alleged espionage links with Pakistan, to 14-day judicial custody.

Hisar police spokesman Vikas Kumar said Jyoti was produced in the court after her extended four-day police custody ended on Sunday and the forensic report of her mobile phones revealed damning evidence.

Police have recovered over 12TB of digital data from her three mobile phones and the report of her laptop is awaited. “The forensic analysis shows one-on-one chats with at least four individuals categorised as PIOs (Pakistani intelligence operatives), suspected money trails, and evidence of VIP treatment received during her trip to Pakistan. We are examining the recovered digital data,” said a senior police official.

Travel blogger Jyoti, 33, a resident of Hisar, was arrested on May 16 for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani operatives. The next day, she was produced before a local court, which sent her in five-day police custody. As her remand ended on May 21, she was produced in the court the next day and court sent her to four-day police remand.

She has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.