NIA, IB Grill YouTuber Held on Spying Charge

More arrests made in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh

- Neeraj Chauhan

NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials questioned YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, arrested over espionage charges, on her alleged links with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), people familiar with the probe said on Monday, adding that her recent trips to Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and Dubai are also under the scanner.

So far, 14 people have been arrested in multiple north Indian states over the past two weeks—including four in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours—for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani operatives, officers said.

"NIA team was here to interrogate the accused (Jyoti Malhotra)," Hisar Superintendent of Police (SP) Shashank Kumar Sawan told HT. NIA did not comment on the matter.

An officer declining to be named said that besides NIA, Malhotra was also questioned by IB and other central intelligence agency officials. "Information gathered so far reveals she got her passport made in 2018, which is valid till 2028, and that she has since travelled to Pakistan, China, Dubai, Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and other countries. We are gathering more details about her visits, particularly to Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and Dubai," the officer added.