The Hisar District Court has sent Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on espionage charges, to the police remand for four days. However, the police stated that no evidence has been discovered of links to terrorist activity or associations with known terrorist groups.

“So far, we have not found any evidence of her involvement in any terror activity or her alignment with any terrorist group. We have not found any document which depicts that she wants to marry any PIOs or wants to change religion,” HT quoted the Hisar SP as saying.

Police noted that there is currently no evidence suggesting Jyoti had access to any military or defence-related information. Additionally, her four bank accounts are under scrutiny, they said, PTI reported.

The police on Wednesday also revealed she had been in contact with a Pakistani officer since 2023.

Jyoti was in touch with the Pakistan staffer named Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish who was placed at the Pakistani High Commission, since November 2023, PTI report said citing sources.

The National Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau, and military intelligence officials have interrogated Jyoti. The police have submitted Malhotra’s three mobile phones and a laptop for forensic analysis. She had been to China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and some other countries.

She was arrested last week from the New Aggarsain Extension area and has been charged under provisions of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Malhotra is one of 12 individuals arrested over the past two weeks from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh on espionage charges, as investigators suspect the existence of a Pakistan-linked spy network operating in northern India.

According to police, Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) had been working to develop Malhotra as an asset. She was also reportedly in contact with Danish during the four-day military standoff between India and Pakistan that followed the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, it added.

Investigations revealed that Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) were attempting to recruit social media influencers in India to propagate their narrative.