The Supreme Court has dismissed the bail plea of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Rani, also known as Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan and sharing sensitive information with operatives of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Court's Decision
A bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta, also comprising Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, delivered the order on June 5. The bench stated, “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment and order of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh rejecting the petitioner’s application for bail; hence, the special leave petition is dismissed.”
The court termed the charges against her as “very serious” and dismissed her petition challenging the March 7 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had previously denied her bail.
High Court's Observations
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed her bail plea, noting that the material on record disclosed a prima facie case against the YouTuber. The Supreme Court upheld this view, emphasizing that national security considerations must be given due weight.
Defense Arguments
Counsel for Jyoti Malhotra argued that she was a travel blogger whose work and online activities were open, public, and transparent. They contended that there was no concrete evidence to prove she spied for any foreign country. The defense also highlighted that she had been in custody since May 16, 2025, and had no criminal antecedents.
However, the bench noted that these points would be examined during the trial and chose to dismiss the bail plea, taking into account the fact that she had visited Pakistan and met Pakistani officials.
Background of the Case
Jyoti Malhotra, who ran a YouTube channel named ‘Travel-with-Jo’, was arrested by the Haryana Police on May 16, 2025. She is accused of sharing confidential sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives. The police alleged that since November 2023, she had been in regular contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an employee of the Pakistani High Commission who was expelled from India in May 2025 after being declared persona non grata.
She has been booked under various provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Investigators are examining her communications, travel records, and alleged connections with ISI agents.
