Jyoti Malhotra, a travel YouTuber from Haryana, has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan. The arrest has sparked considerable attention, partly due to a video that surfaced showing Malhotra attending an Iftar party at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi last year. The video, which Malhotra herself posted on her YouTube channel "Travel With Jo," shows her interacting with Pakistani officials, including one who has since been expelled from India for espionage.
In the video, dated March 30, 2024, Malhotra expresses her excitement about being invited to the Iftar party. She is seen warmly greeting Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, a Pakistan High Commission official. Their interaction suggests a prior acquaintance. Malhotra praises the decorations and expresses her desire to visit Pakistan, even jokingly asking officials to help her obtain a visa. She is also seen introducing one more official of the Pakistani Embassy in the video and says, “It is not possible to get an entry into the embassy without him. Whenever I have visited three to four times, he is the one who registers my entry,” indicating that the party was not her first visit to the embassy.
The video has become a focal point in the investigation following Malhotra's arrest. Authorities claim she was in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives and shared sensitive information. According to DSP Kamaljit Singh, who is supervising the probe, Malhotra was in constant touch with Pakistani intelligence handlers, including Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, who was recently expelled. She allegedly passed sensitive information and also promoted favorable narratives about Pakistan across Indian platforms. It is alleged that she used encrypted communication platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat to communicate with her handlers.
Malhotra's YouTube channel and social media accounts, boasting a significant following, showcased her travels, including multiple trips to Pakistan. She has more than seven videos from Pakistan featured on her page, showcasing trips to Lahore and other parts of the neighbouring country. Some of her videos feature titles like "Indian Girl in Pakistan" and "Indian Girl Exploring Lahore." Investigators believe she was tasked with presenting a positive image of Pakistan to her Indian audience. In one instance, she called Lahore the "cultural heart of Pakistan" in an Instagram post.
The investigation has revealed further details about Malhotra's alleged connections. Police reported that Malhotra had an intimate relationship with a Pakistani intelligence operative and even traveled with him to Bali, Indonesia. She had saved one operative's number as 'Jatt Randhawa' and had also traveled to Bali with him.
Malhotra has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She has been remanded to police custody for further investigation. Authorities are examining her devices and bank transactions to determine the full extent of her involvement in espionage activities. She is among six people who have been arrested for spying for Pakistan.
The case has raised concerns about the potential for social media and travel platforms to be used for espionage. It also highlights the importance of vigilance regarding cross-border intelligence activities disguised as cultural exchange.
