Jyoti Malhotra Confesses Contact With Pak Official Before Pahalgam Attack, Say Police

The Haryana-based YouTuber allegedly maintained regular contact with a Pakistani High Commission staffer for over a year; her arrest is part of a broader investigation into a suspected cross-border spy network.

Hisar, May 21, 2025 – YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, arrested in connection with a widening espionage probe, has confessed to being in direct contact with a Pakistani High Commission staff member in New Delhi, Hisar Police confirmed on Tuesday.

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The Hisar-based digital creator, who operated the travel-focused channel Travel with JO, was arrested from the New Aggarsain Extension area and is currently in custody. According to Hisar police spokesperson Vikas Kumar, Malhotra admitted during interrogation that she maintained communication with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national believed to be a serving intelligence officer, from November 2023 to March 2025.

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“She confessed to her direct communication with Danish during this period,” said Kumar. “He was allegedly working to develop her as an intelligence asset.”

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Expanding Investigation

The case has drawn national attention following the Pahalgam terror attack, and Malhotra is now under joint investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Officials suspect she may be linked to a wider Pakistan-sponsored spy network operating in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

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Authorities have also seized three mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Malhotra, along with two phones from Harkirat Singh, the IT head of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC). All devices are being sent for forensic analysis.

“She was also in contact with several other YouTube influencers,” the police confirmed.

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Financial & Travel Links Under Scanner

A senior police official revealed that Malhotra holds multiple bank accounts and has been involved in a series of unexplained financial transactions. Investigators are now analyzing her records for potential foreign funding or suspicious transfers.

Her international travel history has also raised red flags. Since obtaining her passport in 2018, she has visited Pakistan, China, Dubai, Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Indonesia—countries now under scrutiny in the context of the investigation.

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Court Appearance & Remand

Malhotra will be presented in a local Hisar court on Wednesday, where police are expected to seek an extension of her remand for further interrogation.

She is one of 12 individuals arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in the last two weeks on charges of espionage and foreign intelligence collaboration, indicating a potentially coordinated Pakistan-backed spy network active in northern India.

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Tags:

Jyoti Malhotra, Espionage Case, Pahalgam Attack, Pakistan High Commission, Hisar YouTuber Arrest, India-Pakistan Intelligence, NIA Probe, Spy Network India, National Security, Travel with JO