Jyoti Malhotra Case: Father Retracts Earlier Statement on Daughter’s Alleged Trips to Pakistan

 Hisar  — A day after publicly defending his daughter’s travels to Pakistan, Harish Malhotra, father of arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, has reversed his earlier position, now claiming he was unaware of her alleged cross-border visits.

Jyoti Malhotra, who operates the YouTube channel Travel with JO, was taken into custody last week by the Haryana Police in Hisar on charges of allegedly spying for Pakistani intelligence agencies.

“She used to tell me she was going to Delhi. She never mentioned Pakistan,” said Harish Malhotra on Monday, walking back from his previous remarks. “She made videos at home and never shared much. I don’t know what to say—she came to collect some clothes yesterday when brought by the police but said nothing.”

This marks a notable shift from Harish’s earlier stance on Saturday, when he openly questioned the rationale behind his daughter’s arrest and defended her interactions with Pakistani nationals.

“She used to travel to Pakistan and other countries to make videos. If she had friends there, why shouldn’t she be allowed to contact them?” he had told ANI. He also claimed at the time that Jyoti had obtained all necessary permissions for international travel, including to Pakistan.

According to the ongoing investigation, Jyoti was allegedly honey-trapped by an individual identified as Danish, an employee at the Pakistani High Commission, who is suspected to have ties with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Further inquiry has also revealed that Malhotra had reportedly visited Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir just three months prior to the terror attack that occurred in the region in April this year, raising new questions about the nature and intent of her movements.

Authorities have not yet commented on whether formal charges under the Official Secrets Act or the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) will be filed as the investigation progresses.