Espionage case: Hisar court extends YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's judicial custody till June 23

Malhotra, who operated the YouTube travel channel “Travel with JO,” was arrested by Hisar Police on May 16 from the New Aggarsain Extension area.

A local court in Hisar on Monday extended the judicial custody of social media influencer and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who is under investigation for alleged espionage. The court scheduled the next hearing for June 23.

Malhotra, 33, appeared before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sunil Kumar via video conferencing. Her lawyer, Kumar Mukesh, confirmed that the court had extended her custody by another two weeks.

Malhotra, who operated the YouTube travel channel “Travel with JO,” was arrested by Hisar Police on May 16 from the New Aggarsain Extension area. She was booked under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities allege she was in contact with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).

As per initial reports, Malhotra had been communicating with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an official at the Pakistani High Commission, since November 2023. Danish was expelled by the Indian government on May 13 for suspected espionage activities. Police believe Malhotra was being "developed as an asset" by Pakistani intelligence.

Though no direct evidence has surfaced linking her to military or defence-related data, Hisar Police maintained that her interactions with foreign agents posed a national security concern.

Further complicating the case, Punjab Police arrested Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh on June 4 on similar charges. Investigators revealed Singh had been in close contact with Malhotra and had attempted to erase digital footprints of his interactions with PIOs following her arrest. Singh had also reportedly met Pakistan Army officials during visits to the neighbouring country.

Malhotra was initially remanded to five days of police custody, which was extended by another four days. On May 26, she was sent to 14 days of judicial custody, which has now been extended.

The investigation continues as law enforcement agencies examine the broader network of alleged espionage involving digital influencers.

(With inputs from agencies)