Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Arrested for Alleged Espionage Links to Pakistan
The Haryana Police’s anti-espionage wing, in coordination with Indian intelligence agencies, uncovered Malhotra’s alleged involvement in a covert network spanning northern India.
NEW DELHI- In a shocking development, Haryana-based travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, popularly known for her YouTube channel “Travel with Jo,” has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan. The 34-year-old influencer, with over 377,000 YouTube subscribers and 132,000 Instagram followers, was taken into custody by Hisar police on Friday, May 16, following an investigation into a Pakistan-linked espionage network operating across Haryana and Punjab.
According to authorities, Malhotra, also known as Jyoti Rani, allegedly shared sensitive information about Indian military installations and movements with Pakistani intelligence operatives, including members of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The Haryana Police’s anti-espionage wing, in coordination with Indian intelligence agencies, uncovered Malhotra’s alleged involvement in a covert network spanning northern India. The First Information Report (FIR) filed at Civil Lines Police Station in Hisar states that Malhotra first came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a staff member at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, in 2023 while seeking a visa for travel to Pakistan.
Danish, who was expelled by the Indian government on May 13, 2025, after being declared persona non grata for espionage activities, reportedly introduced Malhotra to multiple Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Malhotra is said to have visited Pakistan at least twice in 2023, where she met operatives including Ali Ahwan, Shakir, and Rana Shahbaz. To avoid suspicion, she saved Shahbaz’s contact under the alias “Jatt Randhawa” on her phone.
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During these visits, arranged by Ahwan, she allegedly met Pakistani security and intelligence officials and began sharing sensitive data about Indian locations. Investigators claim she maintained encrypted communication with her handlers via WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, even after returning to India, exchanging information that posed a threat to national security.
Malhotra has been charged under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which address acts endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity. Following her arrest, she was remanded to five days of police custody for further interrogation, and her case has been handed over to the Economic Offences Wing. Police have seized her mobile phone, laptop, and other devices for forensic analysis, and her bank records are being scrutinized to trace potential financial transactions linked to the espionage network.
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A Seniour police officer, who is supervising the probe, stated, “She has confessed to her role. Her travel history includes four visits to Pakistan, and she maintained encrypted communication with handlers. We are examining her devices and bank transactions to probe the extent of espionage.”
Malhotra’s arrest marks the seventh espionage-related case in Haryana and Punjab since May 7, with six others, including a 25-year-old student and a 24-year-old security guard, also detained for similar charges. The network allegedly involved agents, financial conduits, and informants facilitating the transfer of sensitive information to Pakistani operatives.
