CHANDIGARH: The Instagram account of Hisar-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been blocked, as she is allegedly involved in espionage activities for Pakistan. Police claim she travelled to various locations in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year, prior to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 tourists were killed. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is expected to interrogate her soon regarding possible terror links.
In a widening espionage probe, Punjab Police today arrested two individuals from Gurdaspur for allegedly spying for Pakistan. Over the past three weeks, 12 people have been arrested across Haryana and Punjab for allegedly working for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Sources revealed that Jyoti is currently in five-day police custody with Hisar Police, following the registration of a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Official Secrets Act. She is alleged to have travelled to several strategically important locations such as Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Dal Lake, and Pangong Lake, which is near the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) with China before the Pahalgam attack. Her YouTube videos confirm her visits to these places, both last year and again on 5 January this year, raising alarms among intelligence agencies. She had reportedly been under surveillance since then.
According to sources, during a visit to a neighbouring country, Jyoti maintained contact with several influencers and attended social gatherings. Investigators traced these connections through her YouTube channel, Travel with Jo, which she confirmed during questioning.
Her residence was searched by Haryana Police, and several documents were seized. The NIA is expected to take over the interrogation soon to explore potential terror links.
Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan stated that Jyoti visited Pakistan shortly before the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. She was allegedly being groomed by the ISI, Pakistan’s premier military intelligence agency, to act as an asset. During her visit, she met Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staff member posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
According to the FIR registered at Hisar Civil Lines Police Station, Jyoti visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi and met Danish. During two subsequent trips to Pakistan, she came into contact with individuals named Ali Ahwan, Shakir, and Rana Shahbaz, who reportedly facilitated meetings with intelligence officials. She allegedly saved their contact details under false names and maintained communication through WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat after returning to India.
In a related development, Punjab Police have arrested two persons from Gurdaspur for alleged espionage.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav posted on X:
“In a significant counter-espionage operation, #Gurdaspur Police thwarted an attempt to compromise national security by apprehending two individuals involved in leaking sensitive military information. On 15th May 2025, credible intelligence inputs indicated that Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh were engaged in sharing classified details related to #Operation Sindoor, including troop movements and key strategic locations in #Punjab, #Himachal, and #JammuAndKashmir with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, #ISI.”
He further stated,
“Acting swiftly, the police arrested both suspects. Forensic examination of their mobile phones confirmed the intelligence inputs. The team also recovered three mobile phones and eight live cartridges (.30 bore) from their possession. Preliminary findings establish direct contact with ISI handlers and transmission of critical information concerning the Indian Armed Forces.”
An FIR has been registered under the Official Secrets Act at Police Station Dorangala. The investigation is ongoing, and further disclosures are anticipated as the probe deepens.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, YouTuber Dharmendra Chauhan was shot dead in Lohari village, Jhajjar district, on Sunday night. He was taking a walk after dinner when armed men approached him and shot him in the head at close range before fleeing the scene. Police have registered a case.
A police official confirmed that CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed to identify the suspects. The family has reportedly named a few individuals as potential suspects.
