HARYANA: In a major breakthrough in the ongoing espionage probe, police arrested Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old travel YouTuber from Haryana, for allegedly leaking sensitive information to operatives of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during Operation Sindoor.
Malhotra, who runs the YouTube channel 'Travel with JO,' which boasts over 400,000 subscribers, is one of 11 persons arrested in recent days across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. It is said that she gave classified information regarding power grid operations and strategic troop movements during the blackout phase of the operation to at least three Pakistani handlers.
According to Indian Desk News, citing sources, Malhotra allegedly confessed that she cooperated with ISI agents knowingly and stated without any remorse: "I have no regrets." The charges against her now include those under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which is India's new criminal code.
Investigators believe that the information under scrutiny might have affected the tactical planning of Operation Sindoor. The investigation on the full extent of her communication continues as digital forensics teams analyze devices of various types and chat logs.
The case has sent shockwaves through the security agencies, which also highlighted that these new-age influencers and content creators have aroused suspicion and are being watched as possible recruitment candidates for foreign espionage.
[Source Credit: Financial Express]
