The arrest of Jyoti Malhotra, a Haryana-based travel vlogger, has exposed a conspiracy linked to a major module of Pakistan's spy agency ISI and revealed how modern technology was being used to operate a spy network in India. Investigations have also revealed that she established contacts up to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border - a region known for terrorist activity and has restricted civilian access.
Malhotra, who has a massive following on YouTube and Instagram, is among 11 people who have been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan.
According to sources, investigations have found that the ISI module strategically recruited individuals who have a huge social media influence. Apart from gathering intelligence, they were also allegedly tasked with promoting a positive image of Pakistan.
Malhotra has around 4 lakh subscribers on YouTube and 1,32,000 followers on Instagram.
The Haryana vlogger, currently in five-day police custody, is being questioned by a joint team of the NIA, IB, and Haryana Police. Sources said she has been evasive and also attempted to mislead the investigation.
Initially, Malhotra denied her personal ties with Ehsan Dar alias Danish, a Pakistani High Commission official who was later expelled by India on May 13 amid tensions following the Pahalgam attack.
She even deleted two chats with Danish, an examination of her mobile phone revealed. Investigators suspect these chats might have included confidential information and instructions received by her from Pakistani agents. Her mobile phone has been sent for forensic analysis.
Investigators are also probing her visits to China and Bangladesh following her trips to Pakistan. Malhotra first visited Pakistan in April 2023 in the garb of attending the 324th Baisakhi festival. She again visited the country in 2024 and for the third time this year in March.
In particular, her visit to China in 2024 is under scrutiny. On May 17, 2014, she went to Pakistan to cover the Baisakhi festival. After the 10-day festival ended, she stayed in Pakistan for over 20 days. A month after returning to India, she travelled to China.
Authorities are now probing whether the China trip was arranged during her stay in Pakistan.
