Odisha YouTuber linked to alleged Pak spy Jyoti Malhotra

“She was just a friend I met on YouTube,” says 21-year-old Priyanka Senapati, who’s now under investigation for her links to Jyoti Malhotra.

Transcript

00:00That's an Odisha-based YouTuber with Jyoti Malhotra, who is accused of passing sensitive

00:11information to Pakistani authorities.

00:18The 21-year-old came under the radar for her connection to Jyoti, whom she reportedly

00:22got in touch with through YouTube in 2023. Priyanka met Jyoti in person for the first

00:27time during Jyoti's visit to Puri in September 2024. The two struck up a friendly bond and

00:33were seen travelling together to several destinations, including Jammu and Kashmir.

00:37Priyanka reportedly told investigators that she looked up to Jyoti and aspired to become

00:41a popular social media influencer like her.

00:48While Jyoti's channel, Travel with Joe, had over 3.8 lakh subscribers, Priyanka's

00:53pre-vlogs had a much smaller audience, featuring travel content mostly from Odisha and other

00:59Indian states. Police said Priyanka was eager to grow her YouTube presence by associating with Jyoti.

01:09On 25th March 2025, she even uploaded a vlog of her trip to Pakistan's Kertar

01:14corridor titled Odia Girl in Pakistan. In an Instagram post, Priyanka distanced herself from

01:20the controversy, stating, Jyoti was just a friend I met through YouTube. I had no knowledge of the

01:25allegations against her. Had I known she was involved in spying for Pakistan, I would have cut

01:29ties immediately, she said. She further added that she would fully cooperate with any investigative

01:35agency that wishes to question her, emphasising, the nation comes first, Jai Hind.

01:40Since 17 May 2025, Priyanka Senapati has been questioned for three consecutive days

01:45by multiple agencies over her alleged links to Jyoti Malhotra. So far, investigators haven't found

01:51any direct evidence implicating her in wrongdoing. However, the probe remains active and Priyanka

01:56has not been arrested. Given the sensitivity of the case, officials said every aspect of her

02:01connection with Jyoti is being closely scrutinised. Authorities are examining her laptop,

02:06phone and social media accounts. They're also reviewing the bank transactions of both

02:11Priyanka and her father, Raj Kishore Senapati, who runs a restaurant in Puri.

02:15Sources said the origin of the funds used to establish the business is also under verification.

02:21Her father told reporters that the intelligence bureau had questioned them

02:24about Priyanka's Pakistan trip and her ties to Jyoti. He further added,

02:28She visited Puri last September and came to our home.

02:31My daughter is a student and wasn't aware of Jyoti's links to Pakistan.

02:35Investigators are still tracing Jyoti's movements in Puri

02:38and checking if she met anyone suspicious during her visit.