Hisar, Haryana: In a dramatic U-turn, Harish Malhotra, the father of Jyoti Malhotra, the Haryana-based YouTuber arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, has now claimed he was unaware of his daughter’s international travel, contradicting his earlier public defense of her visits to Pakistan.
Jyoti, who ran a YouTube channel named Travel with JO, was arrested by the Haryana Police last week in Hisar for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence handlers.
Jyoti's Father's Statement
“She used to tell me that she was going to Delhi. She never told me anything,” Harish Malhotra told reporters on Monday, May 19, in stark contrast to his May 17 statement where he admitted that Jyoti had travelled to Pakistan for her videos. “I never said that she visited Pakistan… None of her friends visited our home,” he added. Speaking to NDTV, he also stated that the police had brought Jyoti home only to collect her belongings and that she had left without a word.
Just a day earlier, Harish had strongly defended his daughter in comments to ANI, “She made YouTube videos. She used to visit Pakistan and other places. If she has some friends there, can’t she call them?” His sudden reversal has raised eyebrows, especially amid intensifying scrutiny of his daughter’s alleged espionage activities.
What Did the Investigation Reveal?
Investigators probing the case believe Jyoti Malhotra was honey-trapped by a man named Danish, allegedly linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and employed at the Pakistani High Commission. Authorities are examining her communication and travel patterns, especially her recent trip to Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, just three months before a deadly terror attack in the region.
According to reports, Jyoti is believed to have shared classified videos and photos from restricted areas with her handler under the guise of travel blogging. As the investigation widens, law enforcement agencies are exploring whether a larger spy network was involved.
