‘Pakistani asset in the making’: 5 shocking revelations in Jyoti Malhotra ‘spy’ case

THe halt of Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra on espionage charges has strike headlines crosswise the rural area, with senior police force officials revealing startling details of her alleged involvement with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).Jyoti Malhotra runs a YouTube channel named ‘Travel with JO’ and hails from Haryana's Hisar. She was arrested from New Aggarsain Extension, police said on Saturday.Jyoti Malhotra spy case: 5 major revelations from ongoing investigation1. Jyoti Malhotra was being ‘developed’ as a Pakistani assetAccording to Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan, cited in a a PTI news agency report, Pakistani intelligence operatives were actively working to develop Jyoti Malhotra as a long-term asset. While she had no direct access to military intelligence, her connections with other influencers made her a potential tool for narrative warfare, the officer said.“"Certainly, they were developing her as an asset. She was in touch with other YouTube influencers. They were also in touch with PIOs," PTI quoted SP Sawan as saying, confirming her sustained contact with PIOs.2. In touch with Pak High Commission official during military conflictJyoti Malhotra was reportedly in contact with a Pakistani officer stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi during the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 civilians were killed. This is the same official who has since been declared persona non grata and expelled by India.3. Visits to Pakistan and China raise red flagsJyoti Malhotra, 33, whose YouTube channel called ‘Travel with JO’ has over 3,82,000 subscribers, had visited Pakistan multiple times and also traveled to China once, according to police. Her 2023 visa application to Pakistan allegedly brought her into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a key figure at the High Commission, and his associate Ali Ahwan, who arranged her stay, according to an FIR lodged at Civil Lines Police Station on May 16.4. Alleged role in ‘narrative warfare’ using social mediaSP Sawan said authorities believe Jyoti Malhotra was part of a broader Pakistani strategy to use social media influencers as tools of “narrative warfare.” Police said she was in touch with other influencers who may also have been recruited by PIOs to subtly push anti-India narratives.“This is also (a kind of) warfare, in which they try to push their narrative by recruiting influencers, he said,” SP Sawan said on Sunday.5. Forensic probe, financial trail under scrutinyJyoti Malhotra has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). She is currently on a five-day police remand, during which investigators are analysing her financial transactions, travel history, and electronic devices. Forensic experts are expected to play a key role in determining what information, if any, was passed to PIOs.In a major coincidence, a year before Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, an X user named Kapil Jain had, in a post on X, had requested the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to look into her activities in May 2024.“NIA, please keep close watch on this lady..she first visited and attained Pakistani embassy function then visited Pakistan for 10 days now she is heading for Kashmir... May be some link behind all these [sic],” Jain had posted, sharing a screenshot of Jyoti Malhotra’s YouTube page. Jyoti Malhotra's arrest follows the recent detention of two individuals in Punjab’s Malerkotla district, also linked to espionage networks allegedly tied to the same Pakistani official.Meanwhile, the Odisha Police have started an investigation into the alleged links between a Puri-based YouTuber and Jyoti Malhotra, an officer said on Sunday, but did not reveal the identity of the person.