NIA grills Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra over espionage charges
An official spokesman of the Hisar police said that Malhotra told the probe officials that she was introduced to Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, at the Pakistan High Commission by Harkirat Singh, an employee of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Kurukshetra, when she went to apply for a visa to Pakistan
The officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Haryana Police on Monday interrogated Hisar-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
An official spokesman of the Hisar police said that Malhotra told the probe officials that she was introduced to Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, at the Pakistan High Commission by Harkirat Singh, an employee of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Kurukshetra, when she went to apply for a visa to Pakistan.
“On Sunday, Hisar special task force (STF) had arrested Harkirat Singh and later released him after questioning. His mobile phone was seized and sent to a laboratory. If his involvement is found on wrong means, he will be arrested. Harkirat Singh is also working as a visa agent and the officials are probing his role in Jyoti’s alleged spying case,” Hisar police spokesman Vikas Kumar said.
Officials, requesting anonymity, said Jyoti had visited various places, including Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, three months before the terror attack.
“She had travelled to several places in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan. We are ascertaining her role and with whom she shared which type of information. Prima facie it seems that Danish, who was expelled from India on May 13 for espionage activities, had honey-trapped Jyoti and used her as an asset. She travelled to Pakistan thrice, once to China and other countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia and others. Her bank account details are being examined apart from digital gadgets,” said the officials.
A day earlier, Hisar superintendent of police (SP) Shashank Kumar Sawan had said that Jyoti Malhotra did not have direct access to any information related to the military or defence operations that she could have shared, but she was in touch with Pakistani officials.
“They were developing her as an asset. She was in touch with other YouTube influencers. They were also in touch with PIOs (public information officers). She used to go to Pakistan, like on sponsored trips. She was in Pakistan before the Pahalgam attack, and the investigation is on to establish linkages, if there are any. We are also investigating, as we have leads that other people were also involved with her,” the SP had said.
The SP said that the YouTuber had visited the Pakistani embassy and uploaded a video in March last year. “Pakistan is not a normal country for us. Attending several events with them and remaining in touch with Danish and others during the conflict period endangers the unity and sovereignty of the country,” the SP said.
According to police officials Jyoti was regularly in touch with Danish and other public information officers.
“ The cyber experts are analysing her laptop , mobile phone and other electronic gadgets. After that we would reach a conclusion which type of information she shared with them. She went to Kashmir before the Pahalgam attack and visited Pakistan before that. The Haryana police and intelligence teams are trying to ascertain if there was a link between these trips,” said senior police officials.
Nuh police arrests another ‘spy’
The joint teams of the Central investigation agency (CIA) and Nuh police on Sunday evening arrested a man identified as Mohammad Tarif for allegedly sharing sensitive defence information and SIM cards to a Pakistani official at High Commission in Delhi. This comes after the arrest of Arman from the Rajaka village two days ago on same charges, police said on Monday.
Tarif, a resident of Kangarka village in Nuh district, is accused of leaking sensitive intelligence related to Indian military activities to Pakistan. An official spokesman of Nuh police told HT that the suspected man admitted to providing SIM cards to an employee at the Pakistan High Commission and travelling to Pakistan himself.
“ He also shared pictures and videos of Sirsa Air Base from outside. In 2018, he went to the Pakistani High commission in Delhi where an official, Asif Baloch, took his phone number to inform him when his visa will be granted. Four days later, Asif called him and asked seriously if he wanted a visa. When Tarif expressed eagerness, he told him to bring two SIM cards in lieu of visa acceptance. When he came back, Asif again called him saying if you want to make money, talk to people for a Pakistan visa and take ₹8,000 - ₹10,000 per case and he assured him of giving half money,” the spokesman said.
The accused told the police that last year Baloch called him to Pakistani High Commission and introduced him with another person Zafar, whom he provided two SIM cards and Zafar ensured his third time Pakistan visa, adding after returning from Pakistan, Zafar asked him to provide pictures outside of Sirsa Air Base.
A case has been registered at the Sadar Tauru police station against Tarif and two Pakistani nationals — Asif Baloch and Zafar , both employees at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. They have been charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act and Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
