A local court in Hisar on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of 33-year-old YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested last month on charges of espionage. Malhotra, known for her channel “Travel with JO,” was apprehended by Hisar Police on May 16 and has since remained in custody as investigations continue under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sunil Kumar dismissed the bail request after hearing arguments from Malhotra’s lawyer Kumar Mukesh and the prosecution, which strongly opposed her release, citing the ongoing nature of the probe. The court had earlier extended her judicial custody on June 9 and scheduled the next hearing for June 23.
Malhotra, who appeared before the court via video conferencing, was initially placed under five days of police custody, which was later extended by another four days. On May 26, she was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody.
Authorities allege that Malhotra had been in contact with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), despite no direct access to military or defence-related information being established. Police claim she was communicating with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani High Commission staffer expelled by India on May 13 for alleged espionage activities. According to officials, Pakistani operatives were attempting to develop Malhotra as an asset.
The influencer was arrested from the New Aggarsain Extension area in Hisar. Police maintain that she was aware of the identity of her contacts, which raises serious questions about her involvement in the alleged intelligence-gathering network. The case continues to unfold as authorities deepen their investigation into her connections and activities.
