Bhubaneswar: The Intelligence Bureau (IB) reportedly questioned the friend of Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested for spying for Pakistan, in Puri.
As part of the investigation, the IB, with the help of Puri police, today interrogated Priyanka Senapati, who became friends with Jyoti after coming into contact with her on YouTube. Senapati was questioned regarding her association with Jyoti.
The probe agency is trying to gather information on whether she was directly linked to Jyoti Malhotra and the nature of their communication. Senapati, also a Puri-based YouTuber, clarified through a social media post that she was unaware of Jyoti’s activities regarding espionage.
“Jyoti was just a friend of mine, and I came into contact with her through YouTube. I was unaware of anything she is accused of. I wouldn’t have been in touch with her if I knew she was spying for an enemy country. I knew her professionally through content creation, and I was personally shocked to hear this. If any investigation wishes to cross-question me, I would provide full cooperation,” Senapati’s post clarified.
Puri SP Vinit Agrawal said, “She is being questioned from various aspects. We are in touch with Haryana police and central agencies. If needed, we may take the help of cyber experts. We took the matter very seriously.”
Haryana Police yesterday arrested six people, including a Hisar-based YouTuber and travel blogger Jyoti Malhotra, on charges of spying and passing sensitive information to Pakistani operatives, officials said on Saturday.
These are the prominent arrests in Haryana in less than a week, after Punjab Police arrested two for espionage linked to the Pakistan High Commission arrest, after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire.
Jyoti, who visited Pakistan twice in 2023, was sent to a five-day police remand. She was linked to a spy network in Haryana and Punjab.
