YouTuber, who ran ‘Travel with Jo’, accused of leaking sensitive information to Pakistani agents
CHANDIGARH: A 30-year-old, woman travel blogger, from Haryana’s Hisar has been arrested for allegedly spying and passing sensitive information to Pakistan’s intelligence network. The arrest marks the third such case from Haryana this week—just days after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire. The accused has been identified as Jyoti Malhotra, who ran the YouTube channel Travel with Jo. When contacted, Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan told ‘The Sunday Guardian’ that she was taken into custody on Friday and is currently being interrogated.
According to the police FIR, Malhotra is accused of maintaining deep ties with Pakistani intelligence operatives and playing an active role in a cross-border spy network that stretches across Haryana and Punjab.
As per the FIR registered at the Hisar Civil Lines police station, the blogger’s name came up during surveillance activities. The FIR mentioned that Sub-Inspector Sanjay filed the complaint that led to her arrest. She has been booked under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 (Sections 3 and 5), and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police officials associated with the investigation revealed that Jyoti had visited the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi in 2023, where she met Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer who has now been expelled from India after being declared persona non grata on May 13.
Hisar DSP Kamaljeet said that some suspicious material has been recovered from Jyoti’s laptop and mobile phone. She is currently under a five-day remand for further interrogation.During her two trips to Pakistan in the same year, she was assisted by Ali Ehwan, who arranged her stay and introduced her to top Pakistani intelligence operatives, including Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. To mislead the police, she had saved Shakir’s contact under the fake name “Jatt Randhawa” on her phone.
Investigators revealed that she used encrypted apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat to stay in touch with the operatives even after returning to India. It was found that she had not only built close personal relationships with Pakistani Intelligence Officers (PIOs), but also travelled to Bali, Indonesia, with one of them. She is also accused of using her social media platforms to promote a positive image of Pakistan while secretly sending sensitive information related to Indian locations.
Police sources say Jyoti Malhotra was part of a larger spy network operating in Haryana and Punjab, involving agents, informants, and financial channels. Six Indian nationals, including Jyoti, have been arrested recently in connection with this growing racket. “This arrest is a significant breakthrough. We are questioning her to get more leads and identify others involved,” said a senior Hisar Police official.