At centre stage of espionage is a peace story gone wrong
She is perhaps one of the most unconventional spies—no disguises, and roamed with a camera in hand, sharing candid travel stories, promoting peace, and advocating cross-border harmony. Yet, she finds herself at the centre of an espionage investigation, facing charges of spying for Pakistan.
Living in a modest 58-sq-yard, two-room house at New Aggarsain Extension Colony in Hisar, YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra has been taking care of her father Harish Malhotra, a carpenter, and her uncle Kushal Chand, a retired Electricity Department employee. After her mother separated from the family, Jyoti took on the role of a caretaker.
She graduated from FC College, near her home, and worked briefly in Delhi, but returned home during the Covid pandemic after losing her job.
Last week, she was arrested by the Hisar police for allegedly being in contact with a Pakistani official who had been declared persona non grata by India. While the police deny that she had access to sensitive information, they claim she was used by Pakistani intelligence operatives to gather content and build a positive narrative around the minorities in Pakistan. Her engagement on WhatsApp with the official seems to be the clinching evidence with the police, say sources.
Jyoti’s arrest has shaken their small world. Her father is distraught, particularly by the sudden intrusion of media personnel who barged in the house and recorded videos inside Jyoti’s room. “They came in without permission,” he said. “I have stopped watching TV after seeing her being addressed as ‘Jasoos Jyoti’, ‘Gaddar Jyoti’. I don’t believe this. She focused on her work and mostly stayed in her room."
Socially, the family feels isolated. Their maid has stopped coming, and they now rely on tiffin service. No relatives or neighbours have visited them since the news broke. Her father recalls urging Jyoti to consider marriage. “She is 33. I asked her to find someone, or let me look within our community, but she didn’t agree.”
Neighbours and acquaintances describe her as intelligent, stoic, and reserved. She seldom mingled in the locality, stepping out only to run errands.
As a YouTuber, Jyoti took up ‘travel vlogging’, documenting her journeys to Bhutan, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, China, Pakistan and border regions. Her videos— 487 in number—on ‘Travel with Jo’ earned her 3,99,000 YouTube subscribers and 1,32,000 Instagram (now blocked) followers.
Her content is mostly about the rising popularity of cross-border cultural exchanges on social media. Many Haryanvis have been visiting Pakistan in search of ancestral roots, and YouTubers like Mohammad Alamgir in Pakistan have created content that is liked by people in Haryana. These connections often continue on platforms like Facebook, helping descendants from Partition-era families reconnect.
The police, however, point out the delicate line between revisiting history and sharing sensitive information, and Jyoti seems to have breached it. The case has brought in focus digital limits and personal intent fraught with national security risk.
Haryana Tribune