YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra espionage case: YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistan, has confessed to being in direct contact with a Pakistani national and intelligence operative, Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, during a high-level police interrogation. According to Hisar Police spokesperson Vikas Kumar, Malhotra maintained communication with Danish from November 2023 to March 2025. Danish was reportedly stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi before being expelled.
The Hindustan Times reported that authorities believe Danish was actively cultivating Malhotra as an intelligence asset. “She confessed to her direct communication with Danish during this period,” Kumar said. The police have also seized three of Malhotra’s mobile phones and her laptop, as well as two phones belonging to Harkirat Singh, IT in-charge of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. These devices have been sent for forensic examination.
Jyoti has no remorse, says police
Despite the serious charges under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Malhotra appeared unfazed during questioning. “I have no regrets,” she reportedly told investigators. A senior official involved in the probe said, “Jyoti feels she did not commit any mistake. She believes what she did was justified.”
Malhotra, 33, is among 11 individuals arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in a broader investigation into a suspected Pakistan-backed spy network. She ran a popular YouTube travel channel, Travel with JO, which had over 400,000 subscribers.
Communication during blackouts
Security agencies revealed that Malhotra was in contact with at least three Pakistani intelligence officers, even during periods when mobile networks and internet services were shut down due to heightened security alerts. “She was actively communicating with handlers from Pakistan even when there was a communication blackout,” said a senior intelligence source.
Investigators are continuing to examine her digital and financial records to determine the full extent of the alleged espionage network and any other individuals who may be involved.