SC denies bail to Haryana travel blogger accused of spying for Pakistan

The Supreme Court on Friday (June 5, 2026) dismissed the bail application of Haryana-based travel blogger Jyoti Malhotra, accused of sharing sensitive information with Pakistan, observing that the allegations levelled against her were “very serious”.

A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and S.C. Sharma dismissed her petition challenging a March 7 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court denying her bail, observing that considerations of national security had to be given due weight.

When counsel for Ms. Malhotra argued that she had been in custody since her arrest on May 16 last year and had no criminal antecedents, the Bench observed that such contentions formed part of her defence and would be examined during the trial. Taking note of the allegations that she had travelled to Pakistan and met government officials there, the Bench held that no case for grant of bail was made out.

Ms. Malhotra, a resident of Hisar who ran a YouTube channel called “Travel-with-Jo”, is accused of sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives. The Haryana Police registered a case against her under the Official Secrets Act and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with acts endangering the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

According to the Haryana Police, Pakistani intelligence operatives were attempting to recruit the blogger as an asset. They have claimed that she had been in regular contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistani High Commission, since November 2023. Mr. Danish was declared persona non grata by the Ministry of External Affairs and expelled from India on May 14, 2025.

The police further alleged that Ms. Malhotra used multiple social media platforms to communicate with operatives in Pakistan, routinely deleted those conversations, and exchanged video footage of strategic installations and security establishments with them.

In its order refusing bail, the High Court had held that the material placed on record disclosed a prima facie case against Ms. Malhotra. Given the seriousness of the allegations and the nature of the activities attributed to her, the court found no grounds to release her on bail.