YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra arrested in Hisar for spying for Pakistan

Jyoti Malhotra, a popular travel YouTuber from Hisar, has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan. Known online for her travel channel "Travel with Jo", which boasts over 377,000 subscribers, Malhotra has now become a central figure in an ongoing investigation into an alleged Pakistan-linked espionage network operating across northern India.

Jyoti Malhotra reportedly visited Pakistan twice in 2023.(Instagram/@travelwithJo1)

Jyoti Malhotra was arrested by Hisar police for allegedly spying and passing sensitive Indian information to Pakistani intelligence operatives. She was booked under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Her confession and arrest led to a five-day police remand, and her case is now with the Economic Offences Wing for further investigation.

According to the FIR registered by sub-inspector Sanjay at the Hisar Civil Lines Police Station, Malhotra came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in New Delhi during a 2023 visit. Danish allegedly acted as her handler, introducing her to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), and maintained regular communication with her via encrypted platforms.