Odisha: Puri YouTuber Priyanka Senapati questioned by Police over links with arrested spy Jyoti Malhotra

Bhubaneswar: Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials and Puri Police on Sunday questioned YouTuber Priyanka Senapati from Puri regarding her association with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on May 17 on charges of spying for Pakistan.

According to police sources, Malhotra visited Puri in September 2024, and Priyanka, who had a professional relationship with her, had accompanied her to several locations in the pilgrim town.

Priyanka was interrogated by the IB and local police to determine whether she was involved in sharing any sensitive information with Jyoti.

However, Priyanka issued a statement on social media asserting that her association with Malhotra was purely professional and limited to content creation.

Her father and uncle confirmed that the police had visited their home for questioning but maintained that Priyanka was innocent and had no connection with the espionage case involving Jyoti.

Priyanka’s family further stated that they would fully cooperate with the investigation, emphasizing that the nation comes first for them.

Her father also confirmed that Priyanka had visited Kartarpur in Pakistan a few months ago as part of a professional content creation assignment.

Puri Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal informed reporters that the investigation is ongoing. Police are currently verifying the details of Malhotra’s visit to Puri, her contacts, and her activities during the trip, in coordination with the Haryana Police and central agencies.

He added that authorities are examining communication records, social media interactions, and any potential exchange of data between Priyanka and Jyoti, particularly concerning sensitive installations in the state.