Who Is Jyoti Malhotra, YouTuber Arrested For Spying For Pakistan?

Popular YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, along with five others, has been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan.

For passing on sensitive Indian information to Pakistani intelligence operatives, a case has been lodged against her under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Hindustan Times reported.

Who is Jyoti Malhotra?

Jyoti Malhotra owns a YouTube channel 'Travel with Jo' which has 377,000 subscribers. She got in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in New Delhi in 2023. She has been her handler who introduced her to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).

In 2023, she went to Pakistan twice where she met Ali Ehwan, Shakir, and Rana Shahbaz. She saved their names using fake names like Jatt Randhawa for Rana Shahbaz so that nobody would get suspicious. She has been in touch with these people through encrypted platforms.

While portraying herself as a travel enthusiast, authorities allege she was part of a covert influence campaign promoting a favourable image of Pakistan on social media. Her substantial online following, investigators say, provided her handlers in Pakistan with a platform to shape narratives.

Another key accused, Guzala, a 32-year-old widow from Punjab's Malerkotla, was allegedly lured into the spy ring after visiting the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in February 2025. There, she met Danish, who cultivated a romantic relationship with her, shifting their conversations to Telegram for "security." Over weeks, Danish sent her payments-totaling ₹30,000 via PhonePe and Google Pay-before directing her to funnel portions to suspicious accounts, according to a report in India Today.

Guzala later returned to the High Commission with a friend, Banu Nasreena, also a widow, and secured visas with Danish's help-a detail that has raised concerns about exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

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Among others arrested:

Yameen Mohd (Malerkotla): Allegedly handled financial transactions and visa logistics for operatives.

Devinder Singh Dhillon (Kaithal): A Sikh student recruited during a Pakistan pilgrimage; accused of filming Patiala's military cantonment.

Arman (Nuh): Supplied Indian SIMs, transferred funds, and attended Defence Expo 2025 on Pakistani handlers' orders.

The arrests come amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, where 26 people-primarily Hindu men-were executed at close range by militants. India blames Pakistan-backed groups, including the Kashmir Resistance (a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba), for the attack. In retaliation, India launched 'Operation Sindoor', targeting terrorist hubs across the border.