In a significant development, popular Haryana-based travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, widely known by her online audience as “Travel with Jo,” has been arrested by the Hisar Civil Lines police on charges of espionage. Malhotra, along with six others, is accused of passing sensitive information to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.
The 30-year-old content creator, known for her travel vlogs and social media presence, boasts a following of over 3.7 lakh subscribers on YouTube and 1.3 lakh followers on Instagram. Her digital profiles describe her as a “Nomadic Leo Girl. Wanderer Haryanvi + Punjabi modern girl with old ideas.”
Malhotra maintained frequent and secretive contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives through encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. According to the FIR, she was first introduced to Pakistani intelligence circles during a visit to Pakistan in 2023, where she met a man identified as Ahsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish.
After returning to India, Malhotra reportedly continued her communication with Danish and made a second trip to Pakistan on his suggestion. During this visit, she allegedly came in contact with another individual named Ali Ahsan, who introduced her to members of Pakistan’s security establishment.
According to reports, Malhotra was instructed by her handlers to promote a positive image of Pakistan through her social media content, using her popularity to influence perceptions. More troublingly, authorities believe she began transmitting information considered “sensitive in nature,” posing a potential threat to national security.
In a bid to cover her tracks, Malhotra reportedly saved the contact details of her Pakistani handlers under misleading names, a tactic investigators believe was aimed at concealing her links to foreign intelligence personnel.
Officials are now combing through her digital footprint, communication logs, and international travel history to piece together the extent of her involvement and the nature of the information leaked. More arrests and questioning of her associates are expected in the coming days.
