Travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, also known as Jyoti Rani, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly spying for Pakistan and leaking sensitive Indian military information.
The 33-year-old is among six people booked under charges of espionage.
Who Is Jyoti Malhotra?
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Jyoti Malhotra is a travel vlogger from Haryana who runs a YouTube channel called ‘Travel With Jo’. Her Instagram handle, ‘travelwithjo1’, has 1.37 lakh followers.
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Her Instagram bio describes her as a “Nomadic Leo Girl. Wanderer. Haryanvi + Punjabi modern girl with old ideas.”
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Her social media shows she has a keen interest in bike riding and solo travel.
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Ms Malhotra has travelled extensively across India and foreign countries, including Pakistan, Bhutan, Indonesia, and China.
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She visited Pakistan twice, and her content from there has attracted scrutiny from Indian investigators.
Around two months ago, she posted multiple videos and reels from Pakistan, showing her visit to Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar, Katas Raj Temple, and a bus journey across the country. One of her Instagram captions read “Ishq (love) Lahore”, and her content included comparisons between Indian and Pakistani culture and coverage of Pakistani cuisine.
In 2023, Jyoti Malhotra visited Pakistan for the first time using a visa arranged through commission agents, during which she came in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. She later developed close ties with Rahim, who introduced her to Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Ms Malhotra allegedly remained in touch with these handlers after returning to India and is accused of sharing sensitive Indian Army movement and location details as part of an espionage network spanning Haryana and Punjab.
She reportedly visited Pakistan twice and was hosted there by Rahim’s associate, Ali Ahwan.
In 2024, she also travelled to Kashmir, uploading videos from Dal Lake and the Srinagar-Banihal railway route. Investigators further claim she formed an intimate relationship with one Pakistani operative and even accompanied him to Bali, Indonesia.
Her arrest comes shortly after India’s Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. Following the operation, Rahim was declared persona non grata and expelled from India on May 13 for espionage.
