Trouble Mounts For Jyoti Malhotra’s Odisha Associate Priyanka Senapati as Investigators Close In

Bhubaneswar: Trouble continues to mount for Odisha-based content creator Priyanka Senapati, whose name has surfaced as a close collaborator of Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, now in police custody on charges of spying for Pakistan.

Over the past three days, Priyanka has faced multiple rounds of questioning by officials from the Intelligence Bureau, Odisha Police, and state forensic teams, as investigators probe the extent of her association with Malhotra.

What has drawn heightened scrutiny is Priyanka’s visit to Pahalgam with Malhotra just days before the April 22 massacre there, as well as a trip to Pakistan’s Kartarpur Corridor in early 2023. The two also travelled to Kerala, creating travel vlogs that were uploaded to their social media platforms.

Police sources said Priyanka, a college student currently pursuing her graduation in Puri, was again summoned on Tuesday after her bank transactions, travel history, and digital records were reviewed.

Back in September 21, 2024, Jyoti Malhotra — known by her social media moniker ‘Travel with Jo’ — visited Puri to film content at the Jagannath Temple and Sun Temple, Konark. During her two-day visit, Malhotra was briefly detained for flying a drone over the Jagannath temple. She was released following intervention by Priyanka, who reportedly facilitated her access to restricted areas.

Malhotra, with a substantial following across YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, was arrested on May 16, 2025, in Hisar under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Investigations revealed Malhotra’s use of encrypted messaging apps like Telegram and Snapchat to stay in touch with Pakistani handlers, reportedly using aliases such as ‘Jatt Randhawa’ and ‘Shakir’. She is believed to have shared videos from sensitive locations including Pangong Lake, Leh, and border areas, potentially revealing defence infrastructure and movements.

As forensic experts combed through Malhotra’s digital footprint, her Odisha trip raised fresh concerns. Priyanka reportedly arranged travel, accommodation at Jagannath Ballabh Bhakta Niwas, and temple access for Malhotra and featured alongside her in at least two YouTube videos.

Though collaborations between content creators are common, Priyanka’s prior visit to Pakistan and proximity to strategic religious sites have prompted authorities to examine whether her activities were purely personal or part of a wider network.

While no direct evidence implicates her yet, Priyanka remains under surveillance. Her family has pledged full cooperation, handing over digital devices and financial records. In the meantime, Priyanka’s online presence has shrunk — comments disabled, videos deleted, and social media activity curtailed — as investigators work to determine whether she was an unwitting associate or something more.