Bilkul Sateek News
Gurugram/Hisar, 17 May – On May 17, 2025, Civil Lines police in Hisar, Haryana, arrested travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, 33, on charges of espionage for Pakistan. Known online as “Travel With Jo,” Malhotra built a following of over 377,000 subscribers by posting destination guides and cultural vlogs. Her arrest shocked followers who viewed her as a harmless travel influencer.
Officials allege Malhotra relayed strategic military and infrastructure details—such as troop movements and border-area layouts—to Pakistani handlers. Evidence includes a video she shot at an Iftar hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, which featured Ehsan-ur-Rahim (alias Danish), a diplomat expelled as persona non grata on May 13, 2025. Investigators recovered encrypted chat logs linking Malhotra to multiple Pakistani intelligence operatives and financial transactions routed through hawala networks.
Haryana Police Commissioner R.K. Gupta hailed the bust as “a significant blow to foreign-sponsored espionage in our state” and noted that “Operation Sindoor” has so far netted six suspects. A spokesperson for India’s Ministry of Home Affairs declined to comment on specifics but affirmed: “We remain vigilant against the misuse of digital platforms for hostile intelligence gathering.”.
Malhotra is currently in judicial custody at Hisar District Court, where prosecutors plan to invoke sections of the Official Secrets Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Law enforcement sources indicate the probe is expanding to determine whether other influencers have been similarly compromised.
Security analysts warn that social-media reach and trust can be weaponized by foreign agencies to harvest sensitive data under the guise of influencer engagement. Comparisons are being drawn to the 2019 case of blogger Amit Kumar, who was convicted for leaking border-patrol routes via a fitness app. Experts recommend stricter vetting of digital creators with access to restricted sites and periodic audits of geo-tagged content.
