Hisar YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Seeks Regular Bail in Espionage Case; Court Awaits Police Reply by June 11
Jyoti Malhotra, a Hisar-based YouTuber arrested last month on charges of espionage, has filed a plea for regular bail. Her counsel, advocate Kumar Mukesh, submitted the application before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sunil Kumar on Tuesday.
The court has sought a reply from the police by June 11 before proceeding further with the bail plea.
Malhotra, 33, who runs the YouTube channel Travel with JO, was arrested by Hisar Police on May 16 under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She was initially remanded in five-day police custody, which was later extended by another four days. On May 26, she was sent to 14-day judicial custody.
Appearing via video conferencing, Malhotra’s judicial custody was extended again on June 9, and the court scheduled the next hearing for June 23.
According to police sources, while there is no evidence so far indicating that Malhotra had access to military or classified defence information, she was allegedly in contact with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs). Investigators claim she had been in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish — a former staffer at the Pakistani High Commission — since November 2023. Danish was expelled by India on May 13 for alleged involvement in espionage activities.
Police allege that Pakistani intelligence agencies were attempting to develop Malhotra as an asset, though her legal team has denied the charges.
