Hisar, June 10: Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old social media influencer arrested last month on suspicion of espionage, applied for regular bail in a local court on Tuesday, according to her lawyer. Malhotra, who operated the YouTube channel “Travel with JO,” submitted her bail plea before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sunil Kumar through her legal representative, Kumar Mukesh. The court has requested a response from the police by June 11.
“We have moved a regular bail plea before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Sunil Kumar,” said Kumar Mukesh, Malhotra’s lawyer.
Her arrest on May 16 by Hisar Police, under suspicion of espionage, led to her initial five-day police custody. This was subsequently extended by four additional days as police sought further questioning. On May 26, the court remanded her to 14 days of judicial custody. Most recently, on June 9, the court extended her judicial custody and scheduled her next hearing for June 23, with Malhotra appearing via video-conferencing.
Malhotra, a resident of Hisar, was apprehended at the New Aggarsain Extension and faces charges under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. While Hisar police previously stated that no evidence suggested Malhotra had access to military or defense-related information, they assert she was in contact with individuals known to her as Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIO).
Police sources previously indicated her contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, a staffer at the Pakistani High Commission, since November 2023. Danish was expelled from India on May 13 for alleged involvement in espionage. Police claim that Pakistani intelligence operatives were actively cultivating Malhotra as an asset.
