'Told me she was going to Delhi, not Pakistan': YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's father makes U-turn

NEW DELHI: A day after defending his daughter for her trips to Pakistan, YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra 's father has now backtracked on his earlier remarks, claiming he had no idea about her foreign trips. Harish Malhotra, further said that he was being misled by Jyoti, who would tell him that she was going to Delhi and never spoke of Pakistan.

Jyoti, was arrested under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police say they recovered “suspicious” material from her mobile phone and laptop.

“I didn't know, she had told me that she was going to Delhi. She never told me anything. None of her friends visited our home... yesterday, the Police brought her here, she took her clothes and left, she did not say anything to me... I don't know what to say... she used to make videos at home... I never said that she visited Pakistan, she used to tell me that she was going to Delhi... I have no demands, whatever is going to happen, will happen,” Harish told news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Hisar, Haryana: Jyoti Malhotra, a resident of Haryana's Hisar, has been arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive information and being in continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen.

Her father, Harish Malhotra, says, " I didn't know, she had told me that she was going… pic.twitter.com/OHuzg33P1S

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2025

As per authorities in 2023, Jyoti visited the Pakistan high commission in Delhi to apply for a visa. It was there she allegedly met a man named Ahsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, a staffer at the mission. Investigators say she remained in contact with him, later travelled to Pakistan twice, and allegedly met individuals associated with Pakistani security and intelligence services.

Her father, however, claimed that her visits abroad were related to her YouTube work. “Before lockdown (Covid), she used to work in Delhi... I haven't seen her (YouTube) videos as I own a small phone... I have nothing to say. I am myself upset and unwell for the last 3 days,” he said.

He had earlier told ANI that his daughter made videos in Pakistan for her channel and had obtained all required permissions for travel. “She made YouTube videos. She used to visit Pakistan and other places... if she has some friends there, can't she call them?” he said, adding that police had taken their mobile phones, passports, and bank documents.

Also read: 'If my daughter has friends in Pakistan, can't she call them?' says father of alleged 'spy' YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra

Police sources told TOI that Malhotra remained in touch with her handler Danish even during heightened military tensions earlier this month, including the days leading up to Operation Sindoor. On May 6, she reportedly travelled to Delhi and communicated with him for several days.

Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan said that Malhotra had been under observation for a while and that she had been "developed as an asset" by Pakistani operatives. He said she was part of a wider network of influencers allegedly being cultivated to shape pro-Pakistan narratives online. Although Sawan said Malhotra didn’t have direct access to military secrets, she was reportedly in contact with other YouTubers and Pakistani Information Officers.

Jyoti, who has 3.77 lakh subscribers on her YouTube channel and 1.33 lakh followers on Instagram, was remanded to police custody for five days after being produced in court on Saturday.