Social media user had warned NIA about YouTuber-turned-spy Jyoti Malhotra
New Delhi: Months before she was taken into custody over allegations of spying for Pakistan, an Indian man had flagged concerns about travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra.
Popularly known by her YouTube channel "Travel with Jo", which boasts nearly 4 lakh subscribers, Malhotra has now emerged as a key figure in an ongoing investigation into a suspected Pakistani espionage network spanning across northern India.
A resident of Hisar, Malhotra was arrested last week for allegedly passing sensitive information related to India’s military to Pakistan.
Her detention follows closely on the heels of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed over 25 civilian lives.
While her arrest was made in May 2025, a year-old post on social media warning about her Pakistan links has resurfaced and gone viral.
Dated May 2024, the post is now being widely circulated online in light of the new developments.
Malhotra had reportedly travelled to Pakistan twice in 2023.
Her online activity shows that her visits to Kashmir were followed by trips to Pakistan.
Old social media alert gains traction
In May 2024, an X user named Kapil Jain had urged the National Investigation Agency to keep a watch on Malhotra’s movements.
“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, alongside a screenshot of her YouTube page.
@NIA_India 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 pic.twitter.com/kfrXZNhMuE
— kapil Jain (@chupchaplo) May 10, 2024
Since her arrest, the year-old warning has garnered over a million views.
“Wow! This guy found her activities suspicious one full year before she was arrested!! Respect!” one user commented.
Another remarked, “You have got to question the security agencies when a random Twitter user cracks a case about a Pakistani spy literally a year before them.”
From Haryana travel influencer to alleged spy
Jyoti’s YouTube channel and Instagram profile have 3.77 lakh subscribers and 1.33 lakh followers, respectively.
She is accused of being in contact with a Pakistani official based at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. On May 13, India expelled that official for alleged involvement in espionage.
According to a report by news agency PTI, Malhotra met Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish at the High Commission in 2023 while applying for a visa to Pakistan, as mentioned in an FIR lodged at Civil Lines Police Station on May 16.
Following her interaction with Danish, she was introduced to his associate, Ali Ahwan, who facilitated her stay in Pakistan.
The FIR states that Ahwan also arranged her meetings with Pakistani security and intelligence operatives, including individuals identified as Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.
To avoid detection, Malhotra allegedly saved Shahbaz’s contact under the name ‘Jatt Randhawa’.
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