Haryana YouTuber Held on Charge of Spying for Pakistan

PTI, CHANDIGARH, MAY 17, 2025 :  A Haryana-based YouTuber has been arrested on the charge of passing on sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives, police said on Saturday. Jyoti Malhotra, who runs a YouTube channel Travel with JO and hails from Hisar in Haryana, was arrested from New Aggarsain Extension, they said. She has been booked under the relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said. Malhotra was sent to a five-day police remand after being produced before the court.

Malhotra, whose YouTube channel and Instagram account have 3.77 lakh subscribers and 1.33 lakh followers respectively, allegedly was in contact with a Pakistani staffer working at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. On May 13, India had expelled that Pakistani official for allegedly indulging in espionage. The podcaster’s YouTube channel shows some videos regarding her visit to Pakistan—Indian Girl in Pakistan, Indian Girl Exploring Lahore, Indian Girl at Katas Raj Temple, and Indian Girl Rides Luxury Bus in Pakistan. She has made a total of 487 videos so far.

She has described herself as a ‘Nomadic Leo Girl’, ‘Wanderer Haryanvi + Punjabi’, and ‘Puraane Khayalon ki Modern Ladki’ on her YouTube channel. In 2023, Malhotra came in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish at the Pakistan High Commission, where she went to seek a visa to visit the neighboring nation, according to an FIR lodged at Civil Lines Police Station on May 16. Malhotra, who visited Pakistan twice, had met Danish's acquaintance, Ali Ahwan, who arranged her stay there, the FIR read. Ahwan arranged her meeting with Pakistani security and intelligence officials and met Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. She saved Shahbaz's mobile number as ‘Jatt Randhawa’ to avoid any suspicion.

She was in contact with these persons through WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, and passed on sensitive information to them, according to the FIR, which was registered on the complaint of sub-inspector Bijender Singh. Malhotra met Danish several times at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi and was found to be in touch with Pakistani intelligence operatives, it said.

The YouTuber’s arrest came days after Punjab Police arrested two persons, including a woman, from Malerkotla district for their alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to the Pakistani official posted at the High Commission. The accused, Guzala and Yameen Mohamad, both residents of Malerkotla, had been receiving payments through online transactions in exchange for classified information.

On May 11, Punjab Police said that Guzala had been arrested for leaking sensitive information regarding the Indian Army movements to a Pakistan-based handler. Guzala revealed that she was doing it in lieu of money and the accused Pakistani official sent her Rs 30,000 in two transactions—Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000—through UPI (Unified Payment Interface).

On Friday, the Haryana Police arrested a 25-year-old post-graduate student from Kaithal for allegedly having links with Pakistani intelligence operatives. The accused, Devender Singh, from Kaithal district's Guhla area, was arrested after an FIR was registered against him on Sunday for uploading photos on social media with weapons, police said. During the investigation, it was learned that Singh, who had been pursuing a Master's degree in political science from a college in Punjab, had gone to Pakistan on pilgrimage in November last year. During the visit, he allegedly came in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives and remained in touch with them even after his return, police said.

A few days ago, a 24-year-old youth, Nauman Ilahi, was arrested in the Panipat district for allegedly supplying sensitive information to some individuals in Pakistan. These arrests come amid tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.