Haryana YouTuber, student held for ‘spying for Pakistani agents’

Haryana-based travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, who runs the YouTube channel Travel with Jo, is among six Indian nationals arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan.

Authorities claim she visited Pakistan in 2023 after acquiring a visa through commission agents. During her trip, she developed close ties with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staff member at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, who has since been declared persona non grata by the government and expelled on May 13.

Authorities claim that Danish introduced Jyoti to Pakistani intelligence operatives and helped her establish connections with them.

Also Read: NIA conducts searches in 7 states over Pak-based spy ring leaking defence secrets

Digital trail exposed

Malhotra allegedly communicated with operatives through encrypted apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp, sharing sensitive information concerning Indian locations.

She was also allegedly used to project a favourable image of Pakistan on social media. She was allegedly engaged in an intimate relationship with one operative and even travelled with him to Bali.

Jyoti has been charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. The case is now with the Economic Offences Wing, Hisar.

Espionage network

Another accused, Guzala — a 32-year-old widow from Punjab — was allegedly lured by Danish when she visited the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to apply for a visa.

He gained her trust by promising marriage, initiating a romantic relationship through chats and video calls. He sent her money through apps such as PhonePe and Google Pay, and instructed fund transfers to other recipients.

She and her friend Banu Nasreena, another widow from Malerkotla, visited the Pakistan High Commission for visas, which was facilitated by Danish.

Yameen Mohd, a resident of Malerkotla, collaborated with Danish in financial dealings and visa-related activities. Arman from Nuh, Haryana, was involved in supplying Indian SIM cards and fund transfers and attended the Defence Expo 2025 on Pakistani instruction.

Also Read: Rahul targets Modi govt on Operation Sindoor: 'Informing Pakistan was a crime'

Student arrested

In a separate case, Devinder Singh Dhillon, a political science student at Patiala's Khalsa College, was arrested from Kaithal, Haryana, on suspicion of spying and passing on sensitive information to Pakistan.

He was arrested on May 12 after uploading images of weapons and military cantonments on his Facebook account.

He reportedly travelled to Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor in 2024 and was influenced by Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agents into sharing sensitive information with officers of Pakistan's ISI agency.

Police say he also shared images of the Patiala military cantonment with Pakistan's officers. His phone has been seized and is under forensic review. Furthermore, his bank account is being investigated to ascertain the money trail between him and Pakistani officers.

Broader crackdown

Dhillon's arrest comes days after 24-year-old Nauman Ilahi was arrested in Panipat on similar charges. The Uttar Pradesh native, who was employed as a security guard in Haryana, used to get money from agents in the account of his brother-in-law and the company driver for giving information to Pakistan.

Additionally, Punjab Police last week arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to a Pakistani official posted at the High Commission in Delhi.

Also Read: India-Pak have decided to work towards reducing alertness level: Army

Earlier, two Punjab residents, including a woman, were arrested in similar espionage cases linked to Pakistan. This wave of arrests follows heightened tensions after India’s Operation Sindoor and a ceasefire agreement on May 10.