Daughter no spy, claims father

Claiming that his daughter is innocent, Harish, the father of suspected spy Jyoti Malhotra, said that a police team arrived at their residence on Thursday to conduct a search and confiscated several items, including mobile phones.

“The police have been visiting our house for the past few days and conducted searches during each visit. This time, the team consisted of six officers, including two women and a cameraperson. They took away Jyoti’s laptop and phone, besides the phones belonging to me and my brother. They also took our bank documents,” Harish said.

He mentioned that he spoke to Jyoti, who denied any wrongdoing. “She says she is being implicated. She claims she had official permission to visit Pakistan and might have stayed with someone there or communicated with them. But I don’t know the people she may have been in contact with in Pakistan,” he said.

A graduate, Jyoti had been supporting the family by contributing around Rs 10,000, he said. Earlier, Jyoti was working in Delhi on a salary of Rs 20,000, but returned to Hisar during the lockdown and started making YouTube videos.

Meanwhile, Hisar DSP Kamaljeet Singh has confirmed that some suspicious items were seized from Jyoti’s possession. She has been booked under relevant Sections and has been taken into five-day police custody.