Espionage Probe Deepens: YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Was in Live Contact with Pakistani Handler, Say Police
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Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing espionage probe involving Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, with police now confirming that she was in&nbsp; real-time contact with her Pakistani intelligence handler and a serving official at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Malhotra, 33, who runs a popular YouTube travel channel titled.&nbsp; Travel with JO, was arrested on Saturday from New Aggarsain Extension in Hisar. Investigating officers have since uncovered what they term a &nbsp;direct and active communication link&nbsp; between the accused and multiple Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs).
According to Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan, forensic analysis of Malhotras digital devices has revealed ongoing encrypted chats and calls with her handler based across the border. Investigators believe these communications were not sporadic but structured and sustained, suggesting a higher level of operational coordination.
Not only was she in regular contact with a Pakistani intelligence handler, but she also maintained communication with a person stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, who has already been declared persona non grata and expelled,&nbsp; a senior official briefed on the investigation said.
Police suspect that Malhotra, though not directly linked to any sensitive military installations, was leveraged for her influence in the digital domain. Her 3.8 lakh subscribers made her a valuable asset in narrative building and potential disinformation campaigns.
The PIOs, police say, were cultivating Malhotra as a long-term intelligence resource, using her travel assignments and influencer network as cover for data collection and psychological operations. Investigators are examining the possibility that she may have been tasked with identifying and approaching other social media influencers who could be similarly exploited.
Malhotra remains in police custody under a five-day remand order. She has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Her financial records, foreign visits, and digital communications are under close forensic scrutiny.
Sources also confirmed that she had visited Pakistan more than once and had made a trip to Chinadetails which are being cross-verified with immigration records and visa documentation.
The Delhi-based Pakistani official with whom she was allegedly in contact played a critical role in coordinating her activities during the heightened tensions that followed the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. Intelligence inputs suggest that this official acted as a local liaison for PIOs operating from Pakistan.
Officials also confirmed that leads are being pursued in Delhi and Hisar to trace other individuals who may have knowingly or unknowingly assisted her.
As the investigation broadens, the case has triggered alarm across intelligence circles, given the rising trend of digital influencers being targeted by hostile state actors for covert influence operations.
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She visited China, linked with YouTubers to shape public opinion under foreign influence

YouTuber Had Live Contact With Pak Handler: Cops

She visited China, linked with YouTubers to shape public opinion under foreign influence

May 18, 2025 | 21:47 IST