YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Questioned for Alleged Spying; Foreign Trips Under Probe

New Delhi: YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra from Hisar, Haryana, is under investigation for allegedly spying for Pakistan. Officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Military Intelligence are questioning her over suspicious financial dealings and foreign travel, especially to Pakistan and China.

Jyoti, 33, who ran a YouTube channel named Travel with Jio with over 3.87 lakh subscribers, was arrested on May 16 from New Agrasen Extension. She has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to police sources, Jyoti is among 12 people arrested in the last two weeks from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in connection with a suspected espionage network linked to Pakistan. A senior police officer in Hisar confirmed that central agencies are reviewing Jyoti’s travel history and finances. Investigators are trying to reconstruct her itinerary to determine which countries she visited and when.

Police say her known income does not match the cost of her frequent foreign trips, raising suspicions. A forensic examination of her laptop is in progress, and people who had contact with her are being questioned.

Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan stated on Sunday that Pakistani intelligence operatives had been cultivating Jyoti as an “asset.” He revealed that she was in touch with a Pakistani officer stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi during the four-day military standoff following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Although Jyoti did not have direct access to military information, she was reportedly in regular contact with Pakistani intelligence officers (PIOs). “This is a new form of warfare not limited to the borders,” said Sawan. “We’ve seen a new method where PIOs are attempting to recruit social media influencers.”

He also disclosed that Jyoti had visited Kashmir before the Pahalgam attack and Pakistan prior to that. Authorities are now trying to establish any link between these trips and her alleged activities.

According to officials, Jyoti first came in contact with Pakistani national Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, in 2023 at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. She was reportedly seeking a visa to visit Pakistan at the time.

Investigations are ongoing, and authorities are focusing on her international connections and digital footprint to determine the full scope of her alleged involvement.