YouTuber ‘spy’ Jyoti Malhotra was in Pakistan before Pahalgam assault: Police

NEW DELHI: Jyoti Malhotra, a YouTuber from Hisar, Haryana, who was arrested below the Official Secrets Act for allegedly spying for Pakistan, had travelled to the neighbouring nation shortly before the latest terror assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, the police stated. Cops are probing potential hyperlinks between her go to and the assault.Shashank Kumar Sawan, SP Hisar, stated Malhotra had been in common contact with a Pakistani citizen and was allegedly being developed as an “asset.” “She used to go to Pakistan on sponsored trips. She was in Pakistan before the Pahalgam attack, and the investigation is ongoing to establish any possible linkages,” he informed reporters.Police stated she had travelled twice to Pakistan and was in contact with different Indian influencers in addition to Pakistan Information Officers (PIOs). During questioning, she reportedly admitted to assembly a Pakistani officer, Ahsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, on the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023. She allegedly exchanged numbers with him and later met with Pakistani intelligence officers throughout her journeys.“Suspicious materials were recovered from her mobile phone and laptop,” stated Hisar DSP Kamaljeet. Malhotra has been despatched to five-day police remand and booked below the Official Secrets Act and BNS part 152.Her father, Haris Malhotra, admitted she had travelled to Pakistan and made movies for YouTube. “She used to visit Pakistan and other places. I don’t know how many times she went, but she went with proper permissions,” he informed ANI, whereas additionally questioning the seizure of their digital units and paperwork by police.The Pahalgam assault, which occurred earlier this month, concerned a focused ambush on safety personnel. While no direct connection has but been established, police sources stated Malhotra’s presence in Pakistan forward of the assault had raised “serious red flags.”Investigations are ongoing to hint the extent of her contacts and any potential coordination with hostile actors.