New details have emerged in the espionage case against Indian YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, with investigative agencies uncovering her direct link to retired Pakistani police Sub-Inspector Nasir Dhillon, who is now under the scanner for alleged intelligence operations against India.
According to intelligence sources, Malhotra was in personal contact with Dhillon and had even appeared alongside him in a podcast episode. Their meeting reportedly took place during one of Malhotra's earlier visits to Pakistan.
Dhillon, who launched his own YouTube channel after retiring from the Pakistani police, initially projected himself as a promoter of peace and cultural dialogue between India and Pakistan. However, investigators now believe that behind the public persona lay a covert mission orchestrated by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and military.
Officials allege that Dhillon operated as a conduit for Pakistani intelligence, using his channel to reach out to Indian YouTubers. After establishing friendly ties with them, he would allegedly introduce them to ISI operatives and gradually assign them tasks aimed at gathering sensitive information about the Indian Army and security establishments.
Malhotra, 36, is believed to be one such individual who was manipulated through this network.
Sources further confirm that Dhillon's connections extended to Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a Pakistani High Commission staffer in New Delhi who was expelled by Indian authorities on May 13 for suspected espionage.
Investigators have found credible evidence linking Dhillon and Danish, indicating a broader and more organised spy ring operating under diplomatic cover.
Jyoti Malhotra was arrested on May 16 under the Official Secrets Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She has since undergone multiple rounds of interrogation by both local police and central intelligence agencies.
She is amongst 12 individuals detained so far in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh as part of a wider crackdown on an alleged spy network attempting to exploit Indian digital influencers for intelligence-gathering.
As the probe deepens, security agencies are now expanding their focus to identify more potential infiltrators connected to this network, raising serious concerns over the use of social media as a new front for espionage.
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(Apart from the headline, this article has not been edited by Benefit News editorial team and is published from an IANS news feed.)

Pakistani police Sub-Inspector Nasir Dhillon

Pakistani intelligence used social media influencers to gather sensitive Indian military data

ISI spy ring exposed through YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra

Pakistani intelligence used social media influencers to gather sensitive Indian military data

June 7, 2025 | 13:44 IST