Hisar-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested for spying and maintaining contact with Pakistani intelligence; encrypted communications and foreign travel links uncovered.
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| Vlogger Jyoti Malhotra arrested in Hisar for spying; Haryana police link her to expelled Pakistani agent and investigate encrypted chats and suspicious travel. Image: Collected |
HISAR, INDIA, May 18, 2025:
India’s Haryana police’s anti-espionage wing has arrested Jyoti Malhotra, a 34-year-old travel vlogger from Hisar, on charges of spying and collaborating with Pakistani intelligence. Known for her widely followed YouTube channel with over 320,000 subscribers, Malhotra is accused of transmitting sensitive information to Pakistani handlers and promoting pro-Pakistan narratives through her digital platforms.
Authorities confirmed that Malhotra traveled to Pakistan on at least four occasions and also visited Bali with a suspected Pakistani operative with whom she was romantically involved. During interrogation, she admitted to meeting Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi in 2023. Danish, an identified Pakistani intelligence agent, was expelled from India on May 13, 2025. Police believe he played a key role in facilitating Malhotra’s espionage activities, including assisting with her visa extensions and introducing her to handlers known as Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.
Further investigation revealed that Malhotra used encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat to stay in touch with Pakistani operatives, disguising their identities under fake contact names like “Jatt Randhawa.” Her digital devices, including a mobile phone and laptop, have been seized for forensic analysis. Authorities are also scrutinizing her financial records to uncover any possible monetary links to intelligence networks.
Police have registered a case under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and Section 153 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. This arrest forms part of a broader crackdown on espionage activity in northern India. Since May 7, six other individuals have been arrested across Haryana and Punjab for similar offenses, including suspects from Kaithal, Kairana, Malerkotla, and personnel from inside a military station in Bathinda. One of the accused, a postgraduate student, is alleged to have been recruited through the Kartarpur Corridor during a religious pilgrimage.
Authorities have emphasized the growing threat of digital espionage, highlighting how civilian influencers and students are being targeted by foreign intelligence operatives. The investigation is ongoing, and police are working closely with central intelligence agencies to dismantle the broader network operating within the region.