Jyoti Malhotra, the YouTuber from Haryana arrested on charges of espionage, has had her police custody extended by four days. The 33-year-old, who ran the "Travel with JO" YouTube channel, is accused of sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). The extension was granted to allow investigators more time to delve into the extent of her alleged involvement in a suspected Pakistan-backed spy network operating in northern India.
Malhotra's arrest is part of a wider operation that has seen 11 other individuals apprehended across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh over the past couple of weeks. These arrests have brought to light a potential espionage ring with links to Pakistan, raising concerns about national security.
During interrogation, Malhotra confessed to being in direct contact with a Pakistani national and intelligence operative, Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, between November 2023 and March 2025. Danish, who was stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi before being expelled, is believed to have been actively cultivating Malhotra as an intelligence asset. Authorities suspect that Malhotra was assigned tasks including projecting a positive image of Pakistan through her YouTube channel, sharing sensitive information on Indian locations of strategic interest and maintaining communication with Pakistani handlers.
The investigation has revealed that Malhotra allegedly used encrypted platforms like Snapchat, Telegram, and WhatsApp to maintain contact with Pakistani agents, suggesting an attempt to conceal her activities. She even saved the number of one Pakistani agent, Shakir, under the name "Jat Randhawa" to avoid detection.
Authorities are scrutinizing Malhotra's financial transactions and travel history. Police have discovered information regarding four bank accounts belonging to Malhotra, with transactions marked to Dubai. The amounts involved were reportedly more than her estimated income. She had visited Pakistan multiple times and also traveled to China once. Her known sources of income did not justify her foreign travels.
A personal diary belonging to Malhotra has been recovered by the police. The diary contains detailed entries about her thoughts and travels, some of which directly reference her time across the border. One entry, written in Hindi after returning from Pakistan, read: "After completing a 10-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."
Despite the serious charges against her under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Malhotra has reportedly shown no remorse during questioning. She allegedly told investigators that she believes she did not commit any mistake and that her actions were justified.
The case has drawn attention to the tactics employed by foreign intelligence agencies to recruit individuals for espionage. SP Shashank Kumar Sawan noted that this is a form of warfare where they try to push their narrative by recruiting influencers.
