The Supreme Court has dismissed the bail plea of YouTuber Jyoti Rani, popularly known as Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on allegations of espionage and sharing sensitive information with operatives linked to Pakistan intelligence agencies.
The Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma on Friday declined to interfere with the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order refusing her regular bail.
Jyoti Malhotra, who operated the YouTube channel Travel-with-Jo, was arrested on May 16, 2025, following Operation Sindoor. She was named as an accused in an FIR registered by the Hisar Police for offences punishable under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
According to the prosecution, Malhotra travelled to Pakistan with the assistance of officials associated with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. During her visits, she allegedly established contact with persons linked to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.
The investigating agency further alleged that after returning to India, she remained in communication with those individuals through WhatsApp, Snapchat and Telegram. It was alleged that she shared sensitive information with such contacts, raising concerns relating to national security and the sovereignty of the country.
While rejecting her bail application, the Punjab and Haryana High Court observed that the allegations were serious in nature and involved issues affecting national security. The High Court noted that the material collected during the investigation disclosed a prima facie case indicating the petitioner’s involvement in activities prejudicial to the interests of the State.
The High Court further recorded that there was prima facie material suggesting that the accused had maintained contact with persons linked to a neighbouring country and had allegedly passed on sensitive information to them. Taking into account the gravity of the allegations and the stage of investigation, the Court held that the case was not fit for the grant of bail.
After hearing the matter, the Supreme Court found no ground to interfere with the High Court’s verdict and dismissed the petition.
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