Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old YouTuber from Hisar who operated the channel &lsquo;Travel with JO,&rsquo; was arrested on May 16 on allegations of spying for Pakistan, police confirmed on Tuesday. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and military intelligence officials are conducting a joint interrogation into her activities, including a detailed examination of her financial transactions and travel history.
Malhotra was detained from New Aggarsain Extension in Hisar and has been charged under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act and the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, according to police sources.
Authorities have found that Malhotra&rsquo;s known sources of income do not correspond with her frequent overseas trips. Investigators are probing her travel to several countries, including Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Dubai, Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, and others.&nbsp;
Officials aim to establish the precise timeline and purpose of these visits as part of an inquiry into a purported Pakistan-backed espionage network operating in northern India.
A senior officer from Haryana Police said, &ldquo;An attempt is being made to draw a complete chain of events to see which countries she visited and in what sequence.&rdquo; Forensic analysis of her laptop is underway, and individuals connected to her are being questioned.
Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan stated on Sunday that Pakistani intelligence operatives were grooming Malhotra as a potential asset. He noted that she maintained contact with officials posted at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi during the four-day military clash following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
Although Malhotra reportedly lacked direct access to military information, Sawan confirmed: &ldquo;She was directly in touch with Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs).&rdquo; The FIR alleges that Malhotra contacted a Pakistani officer, Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, who was stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in 2023 while she was applying for a visa.
Danish allegedly introduced her to Ali Ahwan, who helped arrange her accommodation and set up meetings with Pakistani security officials Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. According to the FIR, Malhotra saved Shakir&rsquo;s contact under the pseudonym &lsquo;Jatt Randhawa&rsquo; to avoid detection.&nbsp;
She is also accused of continuing communications with these operatives using encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, and meeting Danish multiple times at the High Commission.
Malhotra is believed to be part of a broader espionage network active in Haryana and Punjab, involving agents, informants, and financial intermediaries. The Ministry of Home Affairs may decide to hand over the case to a federal anti-terror agency to probe a wider conspiracy involving Pakistani High Commission officials in Delhi and Pakistani intelligence operatives recruiting Indian influencers.
Over the past two weeks, a total of 14 individuals have been arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence.&nbsp;
Four of these arrests occurred within the last 24 hours, including two men from Gurdaspur in Punjab, Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh, accused of passing classified details related to Operation Sindoor, India&rsquo;s military response to the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said: &ldquo;On May 15, credible intelligence inputs indicated that Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh were engaged in sharing classified details related to Operation Sindoor, including troop movement and key strategic locations in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, with Pakistan&rsquo;s intelligence agency, ISI.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Following surveillance, police arrested the suspects and recovered three mobile phones and eight live cartridges.
In Haryana, Mohammad Tarif, a resident of Kangarka village in Nuh district, was detained in a joint operation by local police and central agencies for leaking military intelligence to Pakistan. Tarif, a local quack, allegedly admitted to providing a SIM card to an employee of the Pakistan High Commission and travelling to Pakistan.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Special Task Force arrested Shahzad Wahab, 35, from Rampur. He is accused of recruiting 20 individuals, including three women, to spy for the ISI and supplying them funds on instructions from handlers across the border.
Meanwhile, police in Odisha have initiated an inquiry into Puri-based YouTuber Priyanka Senapati, 21, for her alleged connections to Malhotra. Officials stated that no suspicious evidence has emerged so far.
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NIA and IB probe Jyoti Malhotra’s financials, travels, and contacts amid espionage allegations linked to Pakistan.

NIA, IB Probe YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s Pakistan Links

NIA and IB probe Jyoti Malhotra’s financials, travels, and contacts amid espionage allegations linked to Pakistan.

May 20, 2025 | 21:37 IST