YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s Diary Reveals ‘Crazy’ Details About Her Pakistan Trip

YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Arrested on Espionage Charges Tied to Pakistani Operatives

In a dramatic turn of events, well-known YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, whose vlogs on the ‘Travel with Jo’ channel featured her traveling across the world, was arrested on May 16 from her home in Hisar, Haryana, on the charges of espionage. The 33-year-old creator has been booked under sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, inducing serious doubts about her suspected connections with Pakistani intelligence handlers.

Pursuing agencies, such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), are questioning Malhotra’s activities, particularly her recent travel to Pakistan and China. Her Pakistan travels, specifically the one before the Pahalgam terror attack, are under close investigation. Her diary, seized by the Haryana Police, has shed fresh light on her travels and activities in Pakistan.

Diary Revelations and Her Pakistan Experience

A diary entry, as reported by NDTV, which is not dated, has Malhotra writing about her visit to Pakistan. She wrote about returning to India after a 10-day journey, fondly speaking of the Pakistani people, whom she claimed welcomed her with affection. She added, “We received a lot of affection during this period from the people of Pakistan. Our friends and subscribers also came to visit us. The two days we spent in Lahore were not sufficient.” Malhotra also described Pakistan as “crazy” and “colourful,” stating that it was an experience beyond words.

She also made a sincere appeal in her diary to the Pakistani authorities: “Protect the temples there and let Indians meet their families from whom they were separated in 1947,” emphasizing her effort to induce goodwill and cultural exchange.

Details of Her Arrest and Investigations

Malhotra, whose audience is quite large with more than 3.77 lakh subscribers to her YouTube channel, was picked up from home and booked under the Official Secrets Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Probes have revealed that she was in constant touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, between November 2023 and March 2025. Haryana Police spokesperson Vikas Kumar said that Malhotra has admitted to having conversations with Danish, who was said to be “recruiting her as an asset.”

More probes showed that Danish introduced Malhotra to Ali Ahwan, who organized her stay and arranged meetings with Pakistani security persons Shakir and Rana Shahbaz.Malhotra had saved Shakir’s number as “Jatt Randhawa” in order to stay incognito, as it is stated in the FIR. Once she came back to India, Malhotra continued communicating with these handlers through WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat, and there were multiple meetings at the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi.

The FIR accuses Malhotra of being a part of an extensive ring of espionage operating in Haryana and Punjab, comprising agents, informants, and handlers of money. The authorities are also investigating her bank accounts and travel history to obtain more evidence.

More Arrests and National Security Issues

Together with Malhotra, 11 more people have been arrested within the last two weeks by Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh police forces on suspicion of involvement in Pakistani spy activities. One of those arrested is Guzala, a YouTuber in Punjab. Haryana Police Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan stated that Malhotra’s sources of income were not commensurate with her foreign trips, and suspicions arose of foreign funding backing her activities.

This case has caused concern regarding the existence of espionage rings that are active within India, particularly in the form of social media influencers and travel bloggers who can be used for the purposes of intelligence gathering. An investigation is ongoing as authorities work to determine the scope of Malhotra’s operation and the wider network that she was possibly a part of.