Espionage Case: Arrest of Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra

YouTuber Accused of Spying for Pakistan

New Delhi: Police arrested Jyoti Malhotra, a YouTuber and travel vlogger from Haryana, on Saturday. She is accused of spying for Pakistan. Jyoti allegedly shared sensitive information with a Pakistani official. This official was expelled on May 13 for espionage.

Jyoti’s YouTube channel has 487 videos. Many of these videos show her visits to Pakistan. Some titles include “Indian Girl in Pakistan,” “Indian Girl Exploring Lahore,” and “Indian Girl at Katas Raj Temple.”

The arrest comes at a tense time. India and Pakistan are in conflict after a terror attack in Pahalgam. This attack killed 26 civilians on April 22.

Here are ten key points regarding the case:

• Jyoti has 377,000 subscribers on YouTube. She is accused of talking to a Pakistani employee at the Pakistan high commission in Delhi. India expelled this official on May 13 for spying.
• The police say she kept in touch with Pakistani handlers. She allegedly sent sensitive information through WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat.
• In 2023, she met Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, at the Pakistan high commission. She was applying for a visa to visit Pakistan.
• She met Danish many times at the Pakistan high commission in Delhi. She was also in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
• Jyoti traveled to Pakistan twice. She met Danish’s friend Ali Ahwan, who arranged her stay. Ahwan also helped her meet Pakistani security and intelligence officials, including Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. To avoid suspicion, Jyoti saved Shahbaz’s number as ‘Jatt Randhawa.’
• On March 22, 2025, Jyoti posted a photo. It showed her with two other Indian YouTubers at the Pakistan high commission.
• Jyoti admitted to sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives. She disguised their contacts with fake names to avoid detection. Her communication with these operatives violates the Official Secrets Act and threatens national security.
• She has been charged under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita by Civil Lines police in Hisar.
• She was arrested a day after a 25-year-old postgraduate student was taken into custody in Kaithal. This student is suspected of links with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
• Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old from Panipat, was also arrested. He is accused of providing sensitive information to contacts in Pakistan.