Indian police have arrested six individuals from the states of Haryana and Punjab on charges of espionage and alleged links with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. Among those arrested is Jyoti Malhotra, a popular YouTuber from Haryana who runs the channel Travel With Jo, primarily posting travel-related content.
According to police sources, a spy network suspected to be operating in Punjab and Haryana had been established to transmit sensitive information to Pakistan. Acting on intelligence inputs, authorities arrested Jyoti Malhotra and five others.
Investigators revealed that Jyoti came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, an employee at the Pakistani High Commission in Islamabad, during a trip to Pakistan in 2023. Danish allegedly introduced her to several Pakistani spies. The communication between Jyoti and these operatives reportedly took place through platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat.
Authorities claim Jyoti shared sensitive data from various locations in India with Pakistani agents. To conceal their identities, she allegedly saved their contact numbers under false names in her phone—one such number saved as Jatt Randhawa was reportedly linked to Pakistani spy Shakir, alias Rana Shahyaz.
Further investigations suggest that during a trip to Bali and Indonesia, Jyoti was accompanied by a Pakistani intelligence agent. She is also accused of promoting pro-Pakistan content on social media and transmitting confidential military information.
She has been charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3 and 4 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. The Hisar Economic Offenses Wing is currently handling the investigation.
Another woman arrested, known as Gujjala, had visited the Pakistani High Commission for visa purposes and was reportedly in contact with Danish. He allegedly transferred funds into her bank account and used her to move money through various locations. Gujjala is a widow from Malerkotla, Punjab. Her friend, Banu Nasreen, is also under scrutiny by intelligence agencies.
Other arrested individuals include Yameen Mohammad, Devinder Singh Dhillon, and Armaan, who were involved in financial transactions, video sharing, and providing SIM cards to the network.
According to an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs, this case appears to be part of a larger espionage conspiracy that exploited emotionally and financially vulnerable individuals—using false promises of money, relationships, and marriages to lure them into spying activities.