Travel Vlogger Jyoti Rani Files for Default Bail in Espionage Case

Quick Summary

• Travel vlogger Jyoti Rani, arrested on charges of espionage in May 2025, has filed for default bail through her counsel Mukesh Kumar in a Hisar court.
• Her bail plea claims that the police failed to file a complete challan within the stipulated 90-day period, which ended on August 15, 2025.
• Jyoti faces allegations under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act (1923) and Section 152 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2024), linked with spying and wrongful dialog affecting India’s sovereignty.
• Prosecution counsel Mandeep stated that investigations are still incomplete.
• Referring to a Supreme Court judgment (“ritu Chhabaria Vs Union of India and Others”), her lawyer argued that an incomplete investigation disallows extinguishment of default bail rights.

Indian Opinion analysis
The legal arguments around Jyoti Rani’s case highlight notable procedural aspects tied to individual rights during criminal investigations under Indian law. Her invocation of Supreme Court precedent about default bail underscores safeguards embedded within legal systems to protect against potential delays by investigating authorities. The prosecution’s inability to submit a complete challan despite surpassing mandated deadlines could set precedent for judicial scrutiny over adherence to investigation timelines in cases involving sensitive national security issues like espionage. For India,maintaining robust checks between ensuring national security while safeguarding procedural fairness appears critical as such cases unfold.

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