'War Is Loud But Peace Is Louder': Jyoti Malhotra, Arrested for Spying for Pakistan, Captioned A Post

Popular travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, known for her YouTube channel 'Travel with Jo' with over 377,000 subscribers, has been arrested along with five others by Indian authorities on charges of espionage and promoting pro-Pakistan narratives. She is accused of passing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives and violating multiple sections of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

As the news of arrest spread, her social media account has come under scrutiny. From visiting Shree Katas Raj Temple to sipping tea, posing for the camera with Pakistanis to visiting Anarkali bazaar, Jyoti Malhotra had shared a lot of clips on her Instagram.

In one widely shared video, she is seen alongside a Pakistani woman, journalist Hira Batool, saying: "Hindustani Pakistani Behan Behan. She is Pakistani, I am Indian. Aren't we looking the same? I am a Hindu and she is a Muslim? I am not feeling any difference." The video was captioned: "Hindustani Pakistani Behan Behan 🇮🇳🤝🇵🇰 Behan Code of the year ♥️ Spread love & Happiness."

Other posts featured captions like: "True friendship knows no boundaries..." and "War is loud but Peace is louder 🥹 We must unite again."

While her videos gained traction for promoting peace and unity, Indian authorities now allege that Malhotra was using her travel persona as a cover for espionage and influence operations.

Investigations reveal that Malhotra was in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, who allegedly acted as her handler. Through him, she was introduced to Pakistani operatives Ali Ehwan, Shakir, and Rana Shahbaz-whose names she saved under aliases like "Jatt Randhawa" to avoid detection.

Authorities claim she used encrypted platforms to stay in touch with these individuals, all while building a strong online presence that her alleged handlers used to promote a favourable image of Pakistan and shape narratives targeting Indian audiences.

As per the reports, she visited Pakistan twice in 2023.

"In Pakistan, Ali Ahwan arranged a meeting with Pakistani security and intelligence officials and I met Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. I took Shakir's mobile number and saved it in my phone under the name of 'Jat Randhawa' to avoid suspicion. Then I came back to India and remained in constant touch with all the above people through platforms like WhatsApp, Snapchat and Telegram and started sharing anti-national information. I also met Rahim several times," NDTV quoted Malhotra as telling the cops during the investigation.

In another clip, Jyoti has detailed her journey: "First, we clear Indian immigration, then we cross the Attari-Wagah border. When you cross the border, you feel very enthusiastic. It's a memorable moment, you get goosebumps. When you cross into Pakistan, there is media coverage of travellers," she says in Hindi.

"Then you exchange Indian rupees for Pakistani currency. I got 2.6 Pakistani rupees for each Indian rupee. I suffered a loss, I had thought it would be three," she adds.

What appeared to be cross-border peace outreach is now being probed as part of a larger influence and espionage operation. Investigations are ongoing.