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Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger from Haryana, was apprehended on charges of allegedly engaging in espionage for Pakistan and disseminating sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence agents.
According to police reports, she was being cultivated as an asset. Authorities noted that Jyoti maintained communication with these agents amid the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, although she did not have direct access to any defense-related data. Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan mentioned that Jyoti had traveled to Pakistan several times on sponsored trips, including a visit prior to the Pahalgam attack.
Jyoti Malhotra was allegedly in communication with a Pakistani official at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi during the four-day conflict that ensued after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. This official has since been declared persona non grata and expelled from India.
Concerns arise from visits to Pakistan and China
Jyoti, the creator behind the YouTube channel ‘Travel with JO,’ which boasts over 382,000 subscribers, has made several trips to Pakistan and one to China, as reported by the police.
Her visa application for Pakistan in 2023 allegedly connected her with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, a significant figure at the High Commission, along with his associate Ali Ahwan, who facilitated her accommodation, according to a First Information Report filed at the Civil Lines Police Station on May 16.
Authorities suspect that Jyoti Malhotra was involved in a larger Pakistani initiative to utilize social media influencers for ‘narrative warfare.’ SP Sawan indicated that she was in contact with other influencers who might have been enlisted by Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) to subtly promote anti-India sentiments.
‘This represents a form of warfare where they attempt to advance their narrative by recruiting influencers,’ he stated on Sunday. Jyoti Malhotra has been charged under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
She is currently under a five-day police remand, during which investigators are examining her financial records, travel history, and electronic devices.
Forensic specialists are anticipated to be crucial in uncovering any information that may have been shared with PIOs. Interestingly, a year prior to her arrest, an X user named Kapil Jain had urged the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to monitor her activities in May 2024, stating, ‘NIA, please keep a close watch on this lady.’
(Newsroom staff only edited this story for style from a syndicated feed)
