Father of Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra defends daughter amid spying charges

Haris Malhotra, the father of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was recently arrested on charges of espionage for Pakistan, defended his daughter’s actions. He stated that Jyoti had traveled to Pakistan solely for her YouTube video shoots and questioned why she couldn’t maintain contact with her friends in the country if that was the case. Haris also expressed concerns over the seizure of phones, laptops, passports, and bank statements from their home by the authorities, demanding the return of their devices.

Also Read:YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra arrested for alleged espionage after links with Pakistani officials

In his statements, Haris clarified that Jyoti had followed all legal procedures before her travels to Pakistan. He further insisted that she had done nothing wrong by interacting with people across the border.

Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old travel vlogger with a substantial following on YouTube and Instagram, was arrested by the Haryana Police on espionage charges. She stands accused of passing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence agencies and maintaining contact with a Pakistani national, Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish. Danish, an employee at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, was expelled from India for espionage activities in May 2023.

Jyoti, known for her travel videos on her channel "Travel with JO," had visited Pakistan multiple times, with videos featuring visits to cities like Lahore. Authorities claim she was in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives and that she met with them under the guise of friendship. The police also allege that she used encrypted apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat for these communications.