Haryana YouTuber held for espionage, 'links to Pakistan' under lens

Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested for espionage. She is accused of sharing sensitive information with Pakistani agents. Her trips to Pakistan and social media content are under scanner

A popular travel vlogger from Haryana has been arrested on allegations of espionage, according to a statement released by Haryana Police on Saturday.

 

The accused, identified as Jyoti Malhotra, was taken into custody from the New Aggarsain Extension area in Hisar. She has been charged under relevant provisions of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, adds the police statement.

 

The arrest comes just a week after India and Pakistan reached a military understanding after days of escalation following the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives.

Series of espionage-related arrests

 

Malhotra's arrest follows a string of recent detentions linked to suspected spying activities. Just a day prior, police nabbed Devender Singh, a 25-year-old postgraduate student from the Guhla area in Kaithal district. Singh had allegedly established connections with Pakistani intelligence officials and had shared images of himself posing with firearms on social media. An FIR had been filed against him earlier in the week.  ALSO READ: Mumbai airport, Taj Hotel receive bomb threat over Afzal Guru hanging

 

 

In another related case, 24-year-old Nauman Ilahi from Panipat was arrested days ago for reportedly transmitting classified information to contacts in Pakistan.

Influencer with a wide reach

 

Jyoti Malhotra, known for her travel content under the YouTube channel ‘Travel with Jo’, has amassed a substantial following —approximately 377,000 subscribers on YouTube and 132,000 followers on Instagram under the handle ‘travelwithjo1’. Her profile describes her as a "Nomadic Leo Girl. Wanderer Haryanvi + Punjabi modern girl with old ideas."

 

She has shared videos from trips across India and abroad, including destinations like Indonesia and China. However, her recent travels to Pakistan raised red flags.

Malhotra's trips to Pakistan 

 

About two months ago, Malhotra uploaded a series of videos documenting her visit to Pakistan. These included her crossing the Attari-Wagah border, walking through Lahore’s historic Anarkali Bazaar, taking a local bus ride, and visiting the Katas Raj Temple — Pakistan’s largest Hindu temple.

 

One Instagram post featured the Urdu phrase “Ishq Lahore”, and her content frequently highlighted Pakistani cuisine and cultural similarities with India. Officials suspect these videos were created at the behest of foreign handlers for propaganda purposes, given her digital reach as a social media figure.

 

Aside from her Pakistan visit, Malhotra also toured Kashmir in 2024, sharing videos of a shikara ride on Dal Lake and a train journey from Srinagar to Banihal. One of her more recent uploads featured commentary on the Pahalgam terror attack, which prompted Operation Sindoor. The video was titled, “My views on Pahalgam Kashmir: Shall we visit Kashmir again?”

Connections with Pakistani intelligence?

 

Investigative agencies, according to a report by India Today, revealed that Malhotra first traveled to Pakistan in 2023, using visa services arranged through commission agents. During this trip, she met Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, an official then posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

 

Their acquaintance reportedly deepened over time, with Ehsan eventually introducing her to intelligence operatives in Pakistan. Notably, Ehsan was expelled from India on May 13, 2025, and declared persona non grata amid a diplomatic downgrade between the two nations.

 

After returning to India, Malhotra allegedly remained in touch with her Pakistani handlers using encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. To avoid detection, she saved contacts under aliases such as ‘Jatt Randhawa’, added the India Today report.

 

Authorities claim she travelled to Pakistan on three separate occasions and passed along sensitive information regarding Indian locales. She is also alleged to have developed a romantic relationship with one of the intelligence operatives and even accompanied him on a trip to Bali, Indonesia.

 

As per the report, investigators suspect Malhotra’s involvement in a broader espionage ring with operatives scattered across Haryana and Punjab. The probe into the full extent of the network is ongoing.