Hisar court sends YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra to 14-day judicial custody
Forensic analysis of three of her mobile phones shows one-on-one chats with four Pakistani intelligence operatives, suspected money trails, and evidence of VIP treatment received during her trip across the border.
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 laptop. “The forensic analysis shows one-on-one chats with at least four individuals categorised as Pakistani intelligence operatives, suspected money trails, and evidence of VIP treatment received during her trip to Pakistan. We are examining the recovered digital data,” the spokesman added.
The spokesman further said that the police did not seek her further remand after which the court sent her to 14-day judicial custody. “It’s a long process to examine 12 terabytes of data. Moreover, her four bank accounts are also being analysed,” Kumar added.
This time also, she has not appointed any private advocate in her defence. She was represented by the Defence Legal Aid Counsel (DLAC) lawyers—Jogmani Sharma, Deepak and Nitin in the court.
Her father Harish Malhotra did not come to court as the police had ensured his meeting with Jyoti yesterday.
As per police sources, the YouTuber told her father that she is innocent and asked him to take care of himself and her uncle.
A senior police official, who wished not to be named, said that they have returned mobile phones and some items belonging to Jyoti’s father and uncle as they did not find anything in the devices.
Earlier, Hisar superintendent of police (SP) Shashank Kumar Sawan had said that Jyoti was in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives despite knowing their reality, but no evidence of her association with any terrorist group or with any terror activity has been found so far.
“We have not found any document which shows that she wanted to marry any Pakistani intelligence operative or change her religion. No evidence of Jyoti knowing the planning of the armed forces has been found. The pages of her ‘diary’ shown in public domain have not been recovered by us. We don’t have a diary. Jyoti has four bank accounts, and we can’t comment on transactions as her accounts are being analysed. At this time, we can’t comment on her WhatsApp chats either as they are also being examined,” he had added.
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.
