In her own YouTube videos, proof of vlogger Jyoti Malhotra links to Pakistan revealed
TIMESOFINDIA.COM | May 18, 2025, 11.09 AM IST
In her own YouTube videos, proof of vlogger Jyoti Malhotra links to Pakistan revealed
NEW DELHI: Jyoti Malhotra, the Haryana-based travel vlogger arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, had attended an iftar party event at the Pakistan High Commission in India and frequently praised Pakistan on her social media handles, including calling Lahore the “cultural heart of Pakistan” in one of her pinned posts on Instagram.
Read also: 'Visited Pak more than 4 times': YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra had intimate relationship with Pakistani intelligence officer
The 34-year-old, who runs the YouTube channel 'Travel With Jo' with over 3.2 lakh subscribers and has a sizeable Instagram following of 13.4 lakh, has more than seven videos from Pakistan featured on her page, showcasing trips to Lahore and other parts of the neighbouring country.
The arrest came days after Punjab Police nabbed two others from Malerkotla in a parallel espionage probe involving a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission, who was subsequently expelled by India.
According to DSP Kamaljit Singh, who is supervising the probe, Jyoti had been in constant touch with Pakistani intelligence handlers, including Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, who was recently expelled. She allegedly passed sensitive information and also promoted favourable narratives about Pakistan across Indian platforms.
“She has confessed to her role. Her travel history includes four visits to Pakistan, and she maintained encrypted communication with handlers on WhatsApp, Telegram and Snapchat,” DSP Singh said. “She had saved one operative’s number as ‘Jatt Randhawa’ and had also travelled to Bali with him.”
Investigators are examining her devices and bank transactions to probe the extent of espionage. She has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and Section 153 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said Jyoti largely operated from Delhi despite being a Hisar native and had received help from Pakistani officials for visa extensions and local stays during her trips.
The police investigation revealed that she had an intimate relationship with a Pakistani intelligence operative and travelled to Bali in Indonesia with him.
She was produced before a court on Saturday and remanded to five-day police custody.
Read also: 'Visited Pak more than 4 times': YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra had intimate relationship with Pakistani intelligence officer
According to DSP Kamaljit Singh, who is supervising the probe, Jyoti had been in constant touch with Pakistani intelligence handlers, including Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, who was recently expelled. She allegedly passed sensitive information and also promoted favourable narratives about Pakistan across Indian platforms.
“She has confessed to her role. Her travel history includes four visits to Pakistan, and she maintained encrypted communication with handlers on WhatsApp, Telegram and Snapchat,” DSP Singh said. “She had saved one operative’s number as ‘Jatt Randhawa’ and had also travelled to Bali with him.”
Investigators are examining her devices and bank transactions to probe the extent of espionage. She has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and Section 153 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said Jyoti largely operated from Delhi despite being a Hisar native and had received help from Pakistani officials for visa extensions and local stays during her trips.
The police investigation revealed that she had an intimate relationship with a Pakistani intelligence operative and travelled to Bali in Indonesia with him.
She was produced before a court on Saturday and remanded to five-day police custody.