Indian authorities recently arrested travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra for allegedly spying for Pakistani intelligence. She runs a YouTube channel called Travel with Jo, which has over 3.77 lakh subscribers. Police took her into custody from her home in Hisar, Haryana, on May 16. She now faces a detailed probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB).
Officials Investigate Her Trips to Pakistan and China
According to reports, investigators are focusing on her foreign visits. Her trips to Pakistan and China, especially the one just before the Pahalgam terror attack, have raised suspicion. While questioning continues, Haryana Police found her diary. It revealed emotional and revealing notes about her journey to Pakistan.
Diary Entries Reveal Her Thoughts on Pakistan
In one diary entry, she wrote about her return from a 10-day Pakistan trip. "During this time, I received a lot of love from the people of Pakistan. Our subscribers and friends also came to meet us. The two days we got to visit Lahore were not enough."
She described Pakistan as "crazy" and "colourful". She added that her experience there was hard to explain in words.
In another entry, she made a plea to Pakistan’s government: "Protect the temples there and let Indians meet their families from whom they were separated in 1947."
Police File Charges Under Espionage Laws
Authorities booked Malhotra under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. They also charged her under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Meanwhile, officials found that she stayed in touch with a Pakistani High Commission staffer in Delhi. His name is Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish. Their contact reportedly lasted from November 2023 to March 2025.
She Admitted Contact with Pakistani Agent
According to Hisar police spokesman Vikas Kumar, Malhotra confessed to being in contact with Danish. He allegedly tried to "develop her as an asset". Danish, now declared a persona non grata by India, introduced her to another man named Ali Ahwan. Ali helped arrange her accommodation and set up meetings with Pakistani security officials—Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.
She Hid Spy Contacts Using Fake Names
As per the FIR, Malhotra saved Shakir’s number under the name "Jatt Randhawa" to avoid detection. After returning to India, she continued to communicate with these men. She used WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat to stay in touch. Reports also say she met Danish several times at the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi.
Authorities Link Her to a Wider Spy Network
Investigators believe Malhotra was part of a larger espionage ring. The network reportedly includes informants, agents, and money handlers across Haryana and Punjab. Officials are now examining her travel records and multiple bank accounts. They found transactions that don’t match her known income. At a press conference, Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan said, “Her known income sources do not justify her foreign travel. We suspect external funding. On the surface, she was just a travel blogger.”
More Arrests Follow in the Same Spy Operation
Over the past two weeks, police in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh arrested 11 more people linked to this spy ring. Another YouTuber named Guzala was caught in Punjab. Investigations into this widespread espionage network are still ongoing.