YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's police remand extended by 4 days
What's the story
A Hisar court has extended the police custody of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra by four more days.
The 33-year-old travel blogger was arrested on May 16 for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs).
She was initially remanded in five-day police custody, which ended on May 21, after which she was produced in court for extension.
Legal proceedings
Malhotra faces charges under Official Secrets Act
Malhotra has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The Hisar police have sought the remand extension to continue forensic analysis on her electronic devices.
These include three mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Malhotra, as well as two phones belonging to Harkirat Singh, who facilitated her trip to Pakistan.
Ongoing investigation
Investigators probe Malhotra's connections with Pakistani operatives
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and military intelligence officials have questioned Malhotra.
Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan, however, said they found no evidence linking her to terrorist activities or groups.
"We have not found any document which shows that she wanted to marry any Pakistani intelligence operative or change her religion," Sawan added.
Financial investigation
Malhotra's financial accounts under scrutiny
"No evidence of Jyoti knowing the planning of the armed forces has been found," he added.
Malhotra also has four bank accounts, and they are under scrutiny as part of the ongoing investigations.
Malhotra is one of 12 people detained on espionage charges in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in the past two weeks, as police believe there is a Pakistan-linked spy network working in Northern India.
Online presence
Malhotra's YouTube channel and international travels
A student, a security guard, and a businessman are also among those arrested.
Malhotra runs a YouTube channel called "Travel with JO," which has 3.87 lakh subscribers. She has traveled to Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, among other countries.
Investigations revealed that Pakistani intelligence operatives were trying to recruit social media influencers in India to spread their narrative.