Jyoti Malhotra, a popular travel YouTuber from Haryana’s Hisar, has been arrested for spying for Pakistan. Jyoti, famous for her travel channel ‘Travel with Joe’, has over 377,000 subscribers. Jyoti has now become a key focus in the ongoing investigation into an alleged Pakistan-linked espionage network operating in north India.
Jyoti Malhotra was arrested by the Hisar police for spying and passing on sensitive Indian information to Pakistani intelligence agencies. She was booked under sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and section 152 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS). Following her confession and arrest, she was taken on five-day police remand and now her case is with the Economic Offences Wing for further investigation.
According to the FIR lodged by Sub-Inspector Sanjay at Hisar Civil Lines police station, Malhotra came in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an employee of the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in New Delhi, during a visit in 2023. Danish allegedly acted as her handler, introducing her to Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) and maintained continuous communication through encrypted platforms.
Malhotra reportedly visited Pakistan twice in 2023, where she met operatives like Ali Ehwan, Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. She saved their numbers under different names like ‘Jatt Randhawa’ to avoid suspicion. She then also travelled to Bali city in Indonesia with an intelligence agent, which shows that she was not just in contact but had deep involvement in it.
Officials revealed that Malhotra was part of a larger espionage network active in Haryana and Punjab. Six persons, including her, have been arrested so far for their alleged role in spying, passing on sensitive information and providing financial and logistical support to Pakistani handlers. Presenting herself as a travel blogger under the YouTube channel ‘Travel with Jo’, Jyoti is accused of projecting a positive image of Pakistan on social media.
