Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 5: The Supreme Court of India on Friday rejected the bail plea of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who has been accused of espionage and allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma refused to interfere with the earlier decision in the case. Malhotra faces charges under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, along with Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and will remain in judicial custody as the investigation continues.
The order follows the dismissal of her bail application by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in March this year. The High Court had noted that the allegations pointed to involvement in activities deemed anti-national and the sharing of sensitive material with a neighbouring country, observing that the investigation had already produced sufficient prima facie material to proceed.
According to the prosecution, Malhotra—who ran a YouTube channel titled “Travel with Jo”—came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, an official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, during her visits to Pakistan. She is alleged to have later established links with multiple Pakistani intelligence operatives through social media platforms.
Investigators further claim that forensic examination of her electronic devices and online accounts showed repeated communication with these operatives via messaging and call applications. They also allege that she shared images and videos of strategically significant locations, including Pandoh Dam, Munnabao Railway Station, and a CRPF installation.
Opposing bail before the High Court, the Haryana Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) argued that she received facilitation for a Pakistan visa, maintained covert communication channels, and attempted to erase chat records to hide evidence.
In her defence, Malhotra maintained that she had been wrongly implicated. She argued that the investigation was already complete and that a chargesheet had been filed, asserting that the case primarily relied on custodial statements and lacked independent corroboration beyond alleged contacts.
The case originates from an FIR registered at Civil Lines Police Station in Hisar on May 16, 2025, following which she was arrested the same day. She has remained in custody since.
Earlier, the SIT submitted a detailed chargesheet—running nearly 2,500 pages—to a court in Hisar, claiming it had gathered substantial digital and documentary evidence linking her to espionage activities. The report also references alleged associations with Pakistani operatives identified as Shakir, Hasan Ali, and Nasir Dhillon, based on forensic analysis of electronic data and online communications.