Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan amid Indo-Pak tensions

Indian authorities on Saturday (May 17) detained six people, including a YouTuber based in Haryana state, for leaking sensitive information to Pakistan-based operatives. The YouTuber has been identified as Jyoti Malhotra, who ran the YouTube channel “Travel with Jo”. There are allegations she travelled to Pakistan in 2023 and got in touch with several agents of the Pakistani intelligence service. She went to Pakistan with the help of Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staff member at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

Notably, Ehsan-ur-Rahim was declared persona non grata on May 13 following India’s standoff with Pakistan.

According to authorities, Malhotra was a part of a network that spanned across Haryana and Punjab states, with key operatives acting as agents, financial conduits, and informants.

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Jyoti stayed in contact with operatives on encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, including Shakir alias Rana Shahbaz, whose number she saved as “Jatt Randhawa.”

She allegedly shared sensitive information about Indian locations and was used to promote a positive image of Pakistan on social media. Investigators claim she had an intimate relationship with a Pakistan Intelligence Operative and travelled to Bali, Indonesia, with him.

Jyoti has been charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act. A written confession has been obtained, and the case has been handed over to the Economic Offences Wing, Hisar.

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Who are others accused?

Another key accused is Guzala, a 32-year-old widow from Malerkotla, Punjab. On February 27, 2025, Guzala visited the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to apply for a visa. There, she met Danish and began speaking to him regularly.

Danish persuaded her to switch from WhatsApp to Telegram, claiming it was safer. He gained her trust by promising marriage and starting a romantic relationship through chats and video calls.

Over time, Danish started sending money to Guzala. On April 23, Guzala returned to the Pakistan High Commission with her friend Banu Nasreena, another widow from Malerkotla. Danish helped them get their visas, which were issued the next day.

Others arrested in the case include Yameen Mohd from Malerkotla, who worked with Danish on financial and visa-related activities; Devinder Singh Dhillon from Kaithal, Haryana, a Sikh student recruited during a pilgrimage to Pakistan who sent videos of Patiala cantonment; and Arman from Nuh, Haryana, who provided Indian SIM cards, transferred funds, and visited the Defence Expo 2025 on instructions from Pakistan Intelligence Operatives.