Bhubaneswar [Odisha], May 19 (ANI): Odisha Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Monday addressed the alleged link between YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra and YouTuber Priyanka Senapati, saying the government is firm against any illegal activity harming the state's interests.

'If somebody is involved in any illegal activity which hampers the interest of the state, the government is very firm in such cases. If somebody is spying for another country, or if anyone is supporting or helping them, they will also be taken on a proper task,' Harichandan said.

He added that those involved will be linked with the investigative process, and if any connection is found, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will conduct a thorough probe.

'The investigation and prosecution process will be taken up properly. If any link is established, the matter will be taken very seriously and the situation will be handled accordingly,' the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey also urged the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate the foreign tours, advertisements and bank accounts of online influencers after Jyoti Malhotra was arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive information and being in continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen.

The BJP MP in a post on X said that the central agencies should investigate the activities of YouTubers, media influencers, Facebook journalists, and unemployed journalists in the last 5 years, whether they are also running an 'agenda' in connivance with some 'foreign powers'.

'Seeing the exploits of Jyoti Malhotra, who was caught spying for Pakistan, @NIA_India @dir_ed should investigate the foreign tours, advertisements, bank accounts, cars, and houses of such YouTubers, media influencers, Facebook journalists, and unemployed journalists in the last 5 years and whether they are also running an agenda in connivance with some foreign powers. In the last 3 years, Indians have earned 21 thousand crores from YouTube alone, @MIB_India @HMOIndia,' he said.

Jyoti Malhotra, a resident of Hisar, Haryana, was arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive information and being in continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen.

According to Shashank Kumar Sawan, Superintendent of Police (SP) Hisar, Malhotra was being developed as an asset and had maintained ties with other YouTube influencers and Pakistani nationals.

Sawan stated, 'She was in touch with other YouTube influencers, and they were also in contact with the Pakistan Information Officers (PIOs). She used to go to Pakistan, like, on sponsored trips. She was in Pakistan before the Pahalgam attack, and the investigation is ongoing to establish any possible linkages.'

Jyoti Malhotra was interrogated for allegedly passing information to the Pakistani side. She allegedly met a Pakistani officer, Ahsan-ur-Rahim, in Delhi, travelled to Pakistan twice, and shared sensitive information.

Hisar DSP Kamaljeet said that the police have taken the woman on a five-day remand. She has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of BNS.

The DSP said that police received 'some suspicious things' from her mobile and laptop.

'Yesterday, based on inputs that we had, we arrested Jyoti, daughter of Haris Kumar, under the Official Secret Act and BNS 152. We have received some suspicious things after we recovered her mobile and laptop. We have taken her on a five-day remand, and further investigation is on. She was in continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen,' Kamaljeet said.

During the preliminary investigation, the woman told the police that she went to the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023 to apply for a visa and met a man named Ahsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish.

She also told the police that after exchanging numbers, she started talking to Ahsan-ur-Rahim and travelled twice to Pakistan. Officials said that the woman also told during the investigation that Ahsan-ur-Rahim arranged for her stay and travel and arranged meetings with Pakistani security and intelligence agencies. (ANI)