New Delhi: In a startling case of espionage, Indian authorities have uncovered a deep-rooted spy network involving social media influencer and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who allegedly passed sensitive information to Pakistani operatives. The investigation has revealed that Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a Pakistani diplomat stationed in New Delhi and recently expelled from India, was her primary handler.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a decisive move on May 13, declared Ehsan-ur-Rahim persona non grata and ordered him to leave India within 24 hours. He was accused of engaging in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status, a diplomatic euphemism for espionage. A formal demarche was issued to the senior-most Pakistani diplomat in Delhi.
The espionage network allegedly extended across Haryana and Punjab, involving a chain of operatives functioning as agents, financial couriers, and informants. Among them was Jyoti Malhotra, known for her YouTube channel “Travel with Jo,” which showcased travel content, including a controversial visit to Pakistan in 2023.
Officials revealed that Malhotra obtained a Pakistani visa through commission agents and traveled to the country, where she established close ties with Danish, a staff member at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. During the trip, she was allegedly introduced to several Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).
Post her visit, Malhotra remained in constant contact with PIOs via encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. Notably, she communicated with an operative named Shakir, alias Rana Shahbaz, whose number she saved under the alias “Jatt Randhawa.”
Sources said she shared information related to strategic Indian locations, posing a serious national security threat. She was also used to amplify pro-Pakistan narratives on social media, carefully crafting content to present Pakistan in a favorable light.
Intimate Relations and Foreign Travel
In a twist that further complicates the case, investigators revealed that Malhotra was involved in an intimate relationship with the Pakistani intelligence operative and had even traveled to Bali, Indonesia, with him—raising questions about the extent of compromise and manipulation involved in the espionage operation.
Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested and booked under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, which deal with spying and the unauthorised sharing of sensitive information. A written confession has reportedly been obtained during preliminary interrogation.
The case has now been transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Hisar, which is handling the ongoing investigation. Further arrests and disclosures are likely as authorities continue to trace the financial and logistical networks tied to the espionage ring.
