The arrest of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra on charges of espionage for Pakistan has uncovered a suspected ISI-backed spy network operating in India, with authorities closely scrutinizing her personal diary for further clues. Malhotra, who ran the YouTube channel 'Travel with JO', is among 11 people arrested across North India in connection to the alleged spy ring.
Following her arrest on May 16, police recovered Malhotra's personal diary, which investigators believe could hold crucial information about her international connections and activities. The diary, spanning 10-11 pages, contains both general travel notes in English and specific reflections in Hindi about her time in Pakistan.
One particular entry, written in Hindi after her return from a 10-day trip to Pakistan, reads: "After completing a ten-day journey through Pakistan, today I return to my country, India. We don't know how long the distances of borders will remain, but may the grievances of hearts disappear. We all belong to the same land, the same soil." This entry, along with others, suggests Malhotra's desire for improved relations between India and Pakistan. She praised the hospitality she received in Pakistan and expressed hope that more Indian Hindus could visit their ancestral sites, also wishing for easier access to religious sites and a reconnection of families separated during the Partition of 1947.
However, authorities are examining these entries with suspicion, looking for hidden meanings or coded messages. Some notes, including phrases like "I love you" and instructions such as "Tell Savita to bring fruits," are being analyzed as potential covert communications. References to various medicines in the diary have also raised suspicions.
Beyond the diary entries about Pakistan, investigators are also focusing on Malhotra's travels within India, particularly her trips to Kashmir. Footage from her Kashmir travels, where she was frequently accompanied by Priyanka Setupati from Odisha, is under close watch to identify any links to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. Setupati has already been questioned regarding her involvement or knowledge of Malhotra's activities. Furthermore, authorities are scrutinizing her financial transactions, travel history, and digital trail, including content recovered from her cloud storage that allegedly shows BSF troop movement and radar installations.
The investigation has revealed that Malhotra had been in contact with Pakistani national Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, since 2023, when they met at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Danish, who was later expelled from India for alleged espionage, is believed to have been a key contact for Malhotra. Her social media posts showcased a glamorous travel lifestyle, but investigators believe she often misled her family about her travel plans, claiming to be visiting Delhi when she was heading elsewhere.
Malhotra's arrest has raised concerns about the use of social media influencers to propagate pro-Pakistan narratives and gather sensitive information. Intelligence sources suggest that her online reach and frequent foreign trips made her a target for recruitment. She is believed to have established contact networks extending to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a region known for terrorist activity.
Currently, Malhotra is in police custody, being interrogated by a joint team from the NIA, Intelligence Bureau, and Haryana Police. She has reportedly been evasive during questioning and has attempted to mislead the investigation. Her family, shocked by the allegations, has removed her photographs from their home, and her father has distanced himself from the case. As the investigation continues, authorities hope to uncover the full extent of Malhotra's alleged espionage activities and the network she was connected to, with her diary serving as a critical piece of evidence.
