Sat May 17 11:40:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Popular Travel YouTuber Arrested in India on Espionage Charges**
**Hisar, Haryana –** Jyoti Malhotra, a well-known travel vlogger with over 377,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel “Travel With Jo,” has been arrested in Hisar, Haryana, on suspicion of spying for Pakistan. Malhotra is now central to an ongoing investigation into an alleged Pakistan-linked spy network operating in northern India.
Hisar police arrested Malhotra on charges of espionage and providing sensitive Indian information to Pakistani intelligence agencies. She has been charged under sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Following her arrest and confession, she was placed in five-day police custody, and her case has now been transferred to the Economic Offences Wing for further investigation.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by Sub-Inspector Sanjay at the Hisar Civil Lines Police Station, Malhotra came into contact with Ehsan-ul-Rahim, also known as Danish, an employee of the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in New Delhi, during a trip in 2023. Danish allegedly acted as her handler, introducing her to Pakistani intelligence operatives and maintaining regular communication through encrypted platforms.
Malhotra reportedly visited Pakistan twice in 2023, where she met with individuals identified as Ali Ahwan, Shakir, and Rana Shahbaz. She allegedly saved their numbers under aliases such as ‘Jatt Randhawa’ to avoid suspicion. Authorities further revealed that she traveled to Bali, Indonesia, with an intelligence agent, indicating a deeper involvement than just mere contact.
Officials say Malhotra is part of a larger espionage network active in Haryana and Punjab. Six individuals, including Malhotra, have been arrested for their alleged roles in espionage, transmitting sensitive information, and providing financial and logistical support to Pakistani handlers.
In addition to the espionage allegations, Malhotra, who presented herself as a travel blogger on “Travel With Jo,” is accused of projecting a positive image of Pakistan on social media. The investigation is ongoing.
First Piper 