(Image source from: REUTERS)
The father of Jyoti Malhotra, the YouTuber who was detained for allegedly engaging in espionage for Pakistan, expressed his unawareness regarding his daughter's visits to the neighboring nation. In an interview with the news agency ANI, Harish Malhotra stated that he was also uninformed about his daughter's YouTube channel and her presence on various social media platforms. Jyoti Malhotra, who resides in Hisar, Haryana, operates a YouTube channel named 'Travel with JO' and boasts almost 400,000 subscribers. Last week, she was apprehended on accusations of transmitting sensitive military information to Pakistan. Authorities indicated that the 33-year-old had interacted with an official from the Pakistan High Commission and had traveled to Pakistan at least twice. Mr. Malhotra remarked, "She would tell me she was heading to Delhi. She never shared anything more with me," distancing himself from earlier claims that Jyoti had traveled to Pakistan to create video content. He further mentioned, "She used to film videos from home."
On her YouTube channel, Jyoti posted over 450 videos, some of which documented her travels to Pakistan, including titles such as 'Indian Girl in Pakistan,''Indian Girl Exploring Lahore,''Indian Girl at Katas Raj Temple,' and 'Indian Girl Rides Luxury Bus in Pakistan.' Mr. Malhotra noted that she had a job in Delhi prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which she subsequently left. According to police reports, Jyoti Malhotra traveled to Kashmir just before the tragic Pahalgam attack that occurred on April 22 and had journeyed to Pakistan prior to that. Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan informed reporters that officials are working to determine any connections between these trips. He also suggested that Pakistani intelligence agents were cultivating Jyoti as a potential asset.
During the four-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan that ensued after the Pahalgam attack, which resulted in 26 fatalities, Jyoti was reportedly in contact with a Pakistani officer stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Mr. Sawan further claimed that she had allegedly met with several prominent individuals in Pakistan. Jyoti Malhotra is one of at least 12 individuals taken into custody for supposed espionage activities on behalf of Pakistan. These arrests have occurred amidst escalating tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam incident.
In response to discovering cross-border connections linked to the attack, India initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Following this, Pakistan executed a large-scale missile and drone assault, which was successfully repelled. In retaliation, Indian military forces conducted strikes on airbases in Pakistan. A ceasefire took effect on May 10, thereby concluding the hostilities.
