Who Is Jyoti Malhotra? Haryana YouTuber Accused Of Leaking Intel Secrets To Pakistan
Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested on the charge of passing on sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives, police said on Saturday, as quoted by news agency PTI. She runs a YouTube channel, Travel with JO, and hails from Hisar in Haryana and was arrested from New Aggarsain Extension, police also said.
According to the report, Malhotra has been booked under the relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She was sent to a five-day police remand after being produced before the court.
Who Is Jyoti Malhotra?
Jyoti is a resident of Haryana and her YouTube channel and Instagram account have 377,000 subscribers and 133,000 followers, respectively. She was allegedly in contact with a Pakistani staffer working at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.
Malhotra's YouTube channel account shows some videos regarding her visit to Pakistan - 'Indian Girl in Pakistan', 'Indian Girl Exploring Lahore', 'Indian Girl at Katas Raj Temple' and 'Indian Girl Rides Luxury Bus in Pakistan'. She has made a total of 487 videos so far. She has described herself as a 'Nomadic Leo Girl', 'Wanderer Haryanvi + Punjabi' and 'purane khayalon ki modern ladki' on her YouTube channel.
Why Is Jyoti Malhotra In The News?
The authorities have reportedly revealed that Malhotra came into contact with a Pakistani High Commission official in Delhi named Ahsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, in 2023 while seeking a visa to visit Pakistan. The two allegedly exchanged phone numbers and remained in contact afterward.
According to the police probe, Malhotra allegedly travelled to Pakistan twice at the behest of Danish. During her stay, all the arrangements for accommodation and travel were made by a contact named Ali Awan. She was allegedly introduced to members of Pakistani intelligence and security agencies, including individuals named Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.
Malhotra, in order to avoid detection, allegedly saved Shakir’s contact under a false name, “Jatt Randhawa,” on her phone. Even after returning to India, she continued to maintain communication with these individuals via WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Telegram, exchanging sensitive information that could compromise national security.
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