Espionage-accused YouTuber in judicial custody

YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, accused of espionage, was remanded in judicial custody on Monday, after her nine-day police remand got over, reports Kumar Mukesh. Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan said Jyoti's police custody could be sought again, if needed. "Investigators are analysing 13TB data retrieved from five mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Jyoti and another accused, Harkirat. An investigation into Jyoti's bank accounts is underway," he said. Under BNSS, an accused can be held in police custody for up to 15 days for interrogation. This period falls within a larger 90-day pre-trial detention window in certain cases, applicable in this instance. This means Jyoti could still be taken on remand for another six days. Sawan said no evidence had emerged indicating that Malhotra accessed sensitive military, defence, or strategic information, nor had any link been found connecting her to terrorist activities or organisations. She, however, has admitted to being in contact with individuals identified as Pakistani intelligence operatives.