Bhagalpur: As investigation intensifies after the arrest of Haryana-based 'spy' YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, it has now come to light that the vlogger had visited Bihar's Sultanganj and stayed there for two days back in 2023. After the information surfaced, police in Bhagalpur district have launched probe to find out whether Jyoti's visit to Sultanganj and Ajgaivinath temple was part of a recce under the guise of travel blogging.
As per the details shared by Hisar police, Jyoti during interrogation revealed that she stayed in Sultanganj on July 6 and 7, 2023. She had arrived with her team during the Shravan fair and checked into a hotel on Ganga Ghat Road. She was assisted by a YouTuber from Nathnagar who provided her detailed information about the Ajgaivinath temple and significance of Uttarvahini Gangajal. After the filming was over, Jyoti had posted a video on her YouTube channel 'Travel With JO' about the Shravan fair and Sultanganj trip. She further stated that she had initially planned to walk to Deoghar as part of the pilgrimage, but some of her team members were unable to do so, which is why a Scorpio was booked from Sultanganj. They also filmed the decorated shops on the way along the Kanwariya journey.
It has also emerged that during her stay at Sultanganj, Jyoti visited a mosque near Ajgaivinath Dham with a local youth. There, she captured several pictures on her mobile phone. After her return from the place, she also made a reel on the Kanwar Yatra.
Meanwhile, district SSP Hridaykant directed Law and Order DSP Chandrabhushan and Sultanganj Police Station in-charge Mrityunjay Kumar to review security arrangements at all places that Jyoti had visited. Senior police officials, along with a technical team, carried out security inspection at religious places late at night.
"Jyoti Malhotra was in contact with Pakistan's intelligence agency and is accused of sharing sensitive information with the intelligence operatives. That she had travelled to Bhagalpur has been confirmed through her posts on Instagram and YouTube accounts. We are checking all places she had visited. People who met Jyoti in Bhagalpur are also being questioned. Investigation is being carried out from all angles. Security at the temple has been increased. CCTV footage and security deployment has been reviewed. More details will be shared soon," the SSP said.
As per reports, surveillance footage from her 2023 visit are being reviewed with assistance from the cyber and intelligence teams. Moreover, police are monitoring YouTubers who had come in contact with Jyoti during her visit to the place. Two suspicious mobile numbers found during the technical probe are under investigation. Security has been heightened at all major areas while a dog squad has been deployed at Ganga Ghat and around the Ajgaivinath Temple.
YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has made videos not just across India but she has also travelled to countries like Pakistan, Bhutan, Indonesia and China. She had reportedly visited Pakistan twice and is accused of passing on sensitive military information to Pakistani intelligence operatives. The travel vlogger, currently under police custody, is being quizzed by the officials of National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau and military intelligence.
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