The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to Haryana based travel blogger and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra also known as Jyoti Rani, who is accused of spying for Pakistan. The court declined to interfere with the ongoing investigation and allowed the legal proceedings against her to continue.
Terming the charges against Malhotra “very serious,” a bench of justices Dipankar Datta and SC Sharma dismissed her petition challenging a March 7 order of the Punjab and Haryana high court, which had refused her bail on identical grounds.
Malhotra was arrested by the Hisar Police after an Intelligence Bureau report alleged that she had links with a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
According to the prosecution, Malhotra travelled to Pakistan with the assistance of officials associated with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Investigators alleged that during her visits to Pakistan, Jyoti Malhotra established contacts with individuals linked to Pakistani intelligence agencies. They further claimed that she remained in touch with them through WhatsApp, Snapchat and Telegram after returning to India, and shared sensitive information that raised concerns over national security and the country’s sovereignty.
She is facing charges under the Official Secrets Act and other provisions related to activities considered harmful to national security. The police and security agencies are examining her communications, travel records and alleged connections with Pakistani operatives.
Her lawyers argued that she is a travel blogger whose work and online activities were public and transparent. They contended that there was no concrete evidence proving spying and sought her release on bail. However, the Supreme Court was not convinced by these arguments and rejected the plea.
The case has attracted significant attention because of Malhotra’s social media presence. Investigations are still underway, and authorities have said they are continuing to examine possible links between the accused and Pakistani Intelligence Networks.
