Travel Vlogger Jyoti Malhotra Held Over Military Leak to Pakistan
A sensational espionage case in Haryana has led to the arrest of prominent YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra along with several others, according to local police. Jyoti Malhotra, who runs a YouTube channel titled Travel with Jo, is facing serious allegations of passing sensitive Indian military secrets to Pakistan.
Police officials reported that Jyoti Malhotra had travelled to Pakistan on a travel visa and operated there as an agent for Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), transmitting critical military information about India. In light of these allegations, Haryana Police have taken Jyoti Malhotra and six others into custody. Known for producing travel-related video content, Jyoti Malhotra is primarily accused of sharing classified military intelligence with Pakistan.
Senior sources revealed that Jyoti Malhotra maintained close connections with Danish, an officer at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. It is alleged that during her trip to Pakistan, she passed on the confidential information. Vikas Kumar, a spokesperson for the Hisar police, confirmed the arrest and stated, “She is currently being interrogated, and we are working to gather more information.”
An FIR has been registered at the Hisar Civil Lines Police Station based on a complaint filed by Sub-Inspector Sanjay. According to the FIR, Jyoti Malhotra visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023, where she met Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an employee at the mission. During interrogation, she reportedly revealed, “I remained in constant contact with Danish and met Ali Awan during my 2023 visit to Pakistan. He arranged my stay and travel there.” The FIR further mentions that Ali Awan introduced her to officials from Pakistani security and intelligence agencies, and she also met individuals named Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.
Moreover, the FIR notes, “To avoid suspicion, blogger Jyoti saved Shakir’s number in her phone under the alias ‘Jatt Randhawa’. After returning from Pakistan in 2023, she continued her communications with her associates using encrypted apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat.”
It has come to light that Jyoti Malhotra visited Pakistan three times over the past two years. She also travelled to countries like China, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, and the UAE for her YouTube content. Pakistani intelligence officials are believed to have tasked her with promoting a favourable image of Pakistan’s conditions for tourists through her social media platforms. The investigation into the case is ongoing.