A 33-year-old Haryana-based travel YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra alias Jyoti Rani, has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan and sharing sensitive military information. She was taken into custody from New Aggarsain Extension in Hisar and has been charged under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police allege that her actions posed a threat to India’s unity and sovereignty. Malhotra reportedly came into contact with a Pakistani High Commission official named Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish and traveled to Pakistan twice after applying for a visa in 2023.
During her visits, she met Rahim’s acquaintance Ali Ahwan, who introduced her to Pakistani intelligence operatives Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. According to her confession, she saved Shakir’s number under the alias ‘Jat Randhawa’ to avoid detection. Upon returning to India, she remained in constant touch with the Pakistani contacts via WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, exchanging anti-national information. Her YouTube channel described her as a ‘nomadic Leo girl wanderer’ and a ‘modern girl with a traditional outlook’. She has been sent to five days of police custody.
The arrest is part of a broader crackdown on alleged espionage activities. On May 14, a security guard named Nauman Ilahi was held in Panipat for spying and receiving money through a relative’s account. A few days earlier, Devendra Singh Dhillon, a student from Patiala, was arrested for sharing images of a military cantonment after visiting Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor. Two others, Guzala and Yameen Mohamad, were also detained on similar charges, with Guzala admitting to receiving Rs 30,000 via UPI. The police have also arrested Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih for leaking sensitive photos to Pakistan’s intelligence agency. Investigations are ongoing.
