Punjab and Haryana High Court denies bail to YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra accused of spying for Pakistan

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has denied bail to YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested last year for allegedly passing sensitive information to officials of Pakistani intelligence [Jyoti Rani alias Jyoti Malhotra v State of Haryana]..Justice Surya Pratap Singh said there was ample evidence against Malhotra, including regarding her attempts to delete information related to conversations and the transmission of sensitive data to operatives of the Pakistan intelligence agency.The Court also said the information collected by Malhotra comes within the ambit of prohibited information and that her conduct raised a presumption about her involvement in offences under the Official Secrets Act. “Once this prima facie evidence has been collected by the prosecution, the presumption enshrined under Section 4 of the Official Secrets Act comes into picture,” the Court added in its March 7 order.The Court further noted that there was a confessional statement from Malhotra, which is said to have led to the discovery of facts related to this case..Malhotra, a travel influencer from Haryana, was arrested on May 16, 2025, in a case registered under provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Official Secrets Act. The arrest took place when the tensions between India and Pakistan were high in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. Just days before Malhotra's arrest, the Indian government had declared an official of the Pakistan High Commission “persona non grata” and expelled him for espionage..During the hearing of her bail plea, Malhotra’s counsel argued that the entire prosecution case was based upon an imaginary story and that out of nothing, a hype was created against the YouTuber. Stating that she had visited Pakistan on two occasions, it was argued that having contact with the officials of the Pakistan High Commission in itself does not amount to an offence.With regard to allegations of her taking photographs of Pandoh Dam, the YouTuber's counsel said it was not a prohibited area and that photographs of the dam are already in the public domain as the same have been posted on the website of the concerned department.However, the State counsel countered that Malhotra had been meeting an official of the Pakistan High Commission who was declared a ‘persona non grata’ by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and who was forced to leave the country on May 14, 2025. It was also submitted that Malhotra was in constant touch through WhatsApp calls and other social media platforms with various officers of Pakistan. .Observing that the allegations of indulging in anti-national activities and passing on sensitive information to the neighbouring country are very serious, the Court denied bail to the accused.Advocates Ravinder Singh Dhull and Navnit Sharma represented Malhotra.Assistant Advocate General Ramender Singh Chauhan represented the State of Haryana..[Read Order].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.